In a region that has long suffered from health disparities, limited access to medical services, and chronic underinvestment, the launch of the Social Health Authority (SHA) presents a historic opportunity — one we cannot afford to ignore.
I write today to urge the youth of Garissa and across Northern Kenya to take action by registering for SHA and securing their health and future.
Our generation stands at a crossroads. While we’ve grown up in a time of rapid change and immense challenges, we have also been handed tools to shape a different future.
SHA is one such tool — a bold and transformative initiative by the Ministry of Health that seeks to guarantee every Kenyan, regardless of geography or income level, access to quality and affordable healthcare.
As young people, we are often the first responders in our families, communities, and social circles. Whether it’s taking a sibling to the hospital, helping an elderly parent navigate a clinic, or fundraising online for a sick friend, we know firsthand the burden of a broken health system.
SHA offers us a path out of this cycle — but only if we engage, participate, and register.
I want to particularly applaud the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Aden Duale, for his leadership and clarity of vision. As a son of Northern Kenya, CS Duale has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of the health challenges facing our communities — and more importantly, a firm commitment to solving them. His work in championing SHA has been nothing short of remarkable.
This initiative isn’t just about policy; it’s about people. It’s about dignity, equity, and justice in healthcare.
SHA is designed to replace the fragmented and often inefficient National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) with a more inclusive and streamlined approach.
Under this new framework, every Kenyan — from the youth in Garissa to the pastoralist in Marsabit — has the right to access preventive, promotive, curative, and emergency healthcare. But rights are only as powerful as our willingness to claim them.
Registration is easy, free, and now more accessible than ever through Huduma Centres, health facilities, and online platforms. But awareness remains low in many areas of Northern Kenya.
That is why the youth must step up — as ambassadors, as change agents, and as defenders of community well-being.
Let us not wait for another emergency, another funeral, or another preventable death to remind us of how critical healthcare access is. SHA is not a handout — it is a right, and a responsibility.
The youth have always been at the heart of social progress in Kenya. This is our moment to lead once again.
I urge every young person in Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Isiolo, Marsabit, and Turkana to register for SHA today — and to encourage others to do the same.
Together, we can ensure that the promise of universal healthcare reaches every corner of our region.
Let us support this visionary step forward. Let us stand behind leaders like CS Aden Duale who are working tirelessly to improve our lives. Let us register for SHA — because our health is our future.
Mr. Nasteh Farah is the Chairperson of the Garissa Youth Association, a community leader and advocate for youth empowerment in Northern Kenya.
