- President William Ruto says free diapers for new mothers will be added to the SHA benefits package.
- The President has set October 30, 2026, as the target date for the revised package.
- Details on quantities, eligibility and how mothers will access the diapers are yet to be announced.
- The planned benefit is part of wider changes aimed at expanding healthcare support for Kenyan families.
- The government is also increasing focus on maternal and newborn healthcare under SHA.
President William Ruto has announced plans to introduce free diapers for new mothers under the Social Health Authority as the government moves to expand the range of services available through the national healthcare system.
Ruto made the announcement on Tuesday, August 18, while opening the Kenya Health Summit at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi. The two-day summit brought together government officials, health professionals, development partners and other stakeholders to review Kenya’s healthcare reforms.
The President said the SHA benefits package is currently being reviewed to cover more medical conditions and essential healthcare needs. He indicated that the diaper programme was part of his administration’s commitments and would be included in the revised package by October 30.
“Our commitment for diapers is going to be included in the package which we are saying is being reviewed.”
The announcement could provide additional support to families with newborn children, although the government is yet to explain exactly how the programme will operate.
Ruto did not give details on the number of diapers each mother would receive or how long the benefit would remain available after delivery. It is also unclear whether mothers will receive the products directly from health facilities or access them through another SHA arrangement.
The government has also not specified whether the programme will cover all mothers registered under SHA or target particular categories. Details on the brands, quantities and distribution system are expected to emerge once the revised benefits package is finalised.
For many families, diapers represent a regular expense during the first months after childbirth. The proposed inclusion could therefore reduce some of the costs associated with caring for newborns, alongside existing maternal and child healthcare services.
The announcement comes as Kenya continues to expand its maternal and newborn healthcare programme. The Ministry of Health says the government is investing about KSh12.5 billion in measures aimed at improving maternal and newborn survival, including funding for deliveries, essential commodities, family planning supplies and additional nurses.
SHA reforms continue
The proposed diaper benefit is part of a broader review of SHA rather than a standalone programme. The Kenya Health Summit focused heavily on health financing, primary healthcare, digital health and efforts to accelerate Universal Health Coverage.
The government says more than 31.2 million Kenyans have been registered with SHA as it seeks to expand access to healthcare. The system is also undergoing changes aimed at improving how healthcare providers submit claims and manage patient information.
Healthcare providers participating in the 2026/28 contracting cycle are being required to use accredited Health Management Information Systems capable of meeting SHA and Digital Health Agency standards. The move is intended to strengthen digital records, claims processing and accountability within the system.
More support planned for mothers and newborns
The government has recently placed greater emphasis on maternal and newborn health, with additional funding being directed towards services for pregnant women and babies.
Earlier this year, the government announced an additional KSh4 billion allocation through SHA to expand maternal healthcare coverage. It also committed KSh1 billion for essential maternal and newborn commodities and KSh2.5 billion for family planning supplies.
Ruto has previously said the government was working to ensure financial difficulties do not prevent women from accessing safe maternity services. In February, he said vulnerable adolescent mothers and thousands of other mothers had already been brought into programmes covering antenatal, delivery and postnatal care.
The proposed diaper benefit would add a practical household support element to these healthcare interventions if the government implements it as announced.
For now, mothers should not assume that free diapers are already available under SHA. The announcement concerns a planned addition to the revised benefits package, with October 30, 2026 given as the target date for its inclusion.
The government will still need to publish the operational details before families can know who qualifies and how the benefit will be accessed. Those details are likely to determine the actual value of the programme to new mothers.
The wider SHA review is expected to bring additional changes as Kenya continues its push towards Universal Health Coverage. For new mothers and families with newborns, the proposed free diaper benefit could become one of the most noticeable additions if the government delivers on the October deadline.
