Cancer patients have welcomed the increase of the Social Health Authority (SHA) cancer package by Ksh 250,000 as a significant and timely relief during their treatment.
During his State of the Nation address, President William Ruto announced significant changes in the SHA cancer benefits package, effective December 1, 2025. The cover will rise from Ksh 550,000 to Ksh 800,000, a move aimed at enhancing access to quality treatment for cancer patients.
According to Elizabeth Muiya, a representative from Neema Cancer Warriors in Tharaka-Nithi County, payment for cancer tests such as biopsies have been a huge burden to the patients which were not included in the scheme previously, applauding the new directives as major steps towards treatment of cancer in the country.
“A majority of cancer patients have suffered the burden of paying for tests at diagnosis level which have not been previously covered by the scheme. This has been a costly affair and we are delighted that some of the tests have now been included in the medical cover”, she said
Ms Muiya explained that most cancer patients would use up to KShs 100,000 on tests, money which most patients struggle to raise.
“Most patients come from low income backgrounds and by the time they raise enough money for tests, they are already in advanced stages of cancer. A biopsytest can go for up to KShs 40,000, while scans are offered at around KShs 10,000. A patients is required to pay for 2 or more scans including other tests”, Ms Muiya added.
For Peter Munyi, whose wife has been in a long battle with breat cancer, medicine and tests that were previously unavailable have now been fully catered for, easing the financial burden on his family.
“On 3rd of December I took my wife to Meru General Hospital and for the first time, we were not required to make any additional payments to receive tests and medications. I am happy that moving forward my family and I can now rest knowing SHA has covered the necessary requirements”, he said.
Mr Munyi said he had to rely on wellwishers to afford the much needed medications and thanked President William Ruto for upholding his promise of making healthcare affordable to all Kenyans.
“I urge Kenyans to pay the required premiums to be able to access SHA. There is a lot of misinformation going around that the scheme is not working. I am witness that healthcare has improved, especially for cancer patients like my wife”, Mr Munyi affirmed.
The newly announced package now includes key tests such as biopsies, CT scans, PET scans, MRI and blood work and will also cover chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, palliative care and immunotherapy.
Mastectomy for breast cancer and prostate operations will also be fully covered under the scheme.
The Ministry of Health has partnered with Roche, a pharmaceutical company to reduce the cost of cvital cancer drugs. Treatment sessions for HER2-positive breast cancer using the drug Herceptin have been reduced from Ksh 120,000 to Ksh 40,000 per session, which is fully covered by SHA.
Patients are required to first visit a primary health facility for an initial assessment and will be referred to a higher-level hospital where care under this package will be provided exclusively by hospitals and clinics accredited by the SHA.
Additional benefits include laboratory tests to assess blood, liver, and kidney function, as well as coverage for blood transfusions, specialized medical products, and essential supplies such as chemotherapy pumps and stoma appliances.
Kenya records over 47,000 new cancer cases annually with record estimates of over 32,000 deaths within the same period.
According to the National Cancer institute of Kenya, common cancers in Kenya include Breast cancer which accounts to approximately 23.3 percent of all cases diagnosed among women, with 6700 new cases annually.
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in Kenya, responsible for 19.7 percent of all female cancer cases with 5200 new cases annually and 3200 deaths.
Among men, prostrate cancer accounts for 14 percent of all male cancer cases.
