Turkana: At least 282 health officials in Turkana County participated in a comprehensive healthcare financing management training aimed at enhancing their ability to efficiently run their respective facilities. This initiative is designed to boost financial autonomy, accountability, and service delivery within the county’s primary healthcare sector.
According to Kenya News Agency, the four-day training targeted various sub-counties including Turkana North, Turkana South, Kibish, Turkana East, and Aroo. The program aimed to empower healthcare workers with essential skills in planning, budgeting, financial auditing, and resource management, in line with the Facility Improvement Fund (FIF) and Social Health Authority (SHA) Acts.
The County Government of Turkana facilitated the capacity-building exercise, with support from the Council of Governors’ Directorate of Public Health, AMREF Health Africa’s Danida Transcend, and Imarisha Jamii projects. Deputy Director for Medical Services Bonventure Ameyo emphasized the significance of the training, noting that it ensures a reliable flow of funds and improves management autonomy, ultimately leading to better resources and operations.
Ameyo highlighted that proper knowledge of health funding is crucial for the timely procurement of essential medicines, reducing stockouts, and enabling patient access to necessary health commodities and services. He also stressed the importance of timely license renewal in accordance with the indemnity cover, facilitating SHA registration and other vital health services.
Health Financing Specialist at the Council of Governors, Wafula George, discussed resource mobilization strategies aimed at upscaling health financing. These include achieving a 100 percent SHA claim rate and intensifying household registration across community units. He stated that adherence to clear financial procedures and enhanced financial management capacity will improve budgeting, planning, and transparency at health facilities.
According to the latest SHA report, Turkana is among the counties with the lowest SHA coverage, with 27 million people currently registered nationwide. Assistant Director of Health Records and Information, Peter Etee, reviewed the county’s facility analysis on SHA, revealing that only 24 percent of the population, or 222,259 out of 926,463 people, are registered.
Etee suggested that leveraging political influence through grassroots leaders and Members of the County Assembly could increase SHA registration, enabling communities to make SHA payments through ward funds. This, he said, would boost SHA uptake.
Assistant Director of Accounts at the Department of Health and Sanitation, Livingstone Eyanae, advised trainees on the importance of maintaining cashbooks, categorizing annual financial transactions, and using store ledgers for financial health, fiscal standing, and regulatory compliance.
The County Assembly of Turkana recently passed the Facility Improvement Financing Bill, 2025, allowing health facilities to collect, retain, and utilize their own revenue for operational and maintenance costs. Senior officers from various county government directorates and sub-county health management teams, along with development partner representatives, were present during the training.
