President William Ruto has directed Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi to allocate funds to provide Social Health Authority (SHA) medical cover for all village elders and their families.
Speaking during an engagement with village elders at State House, Nairobi, on Tuesday, August 4, Ruto instructed the Treasury to include the funding in the supplementary budget expected in November.
The President said all village elders and their dependents should be enrolled under the SHA programme by January 1, 2027, ensuring they have access to medical cover.
Village elders at State House Nairobi. Photo: Courtesy.
Ruto also ordered the Treasury to set aside additional funds to purchase smartphones for every village elder, saying the devices will improve communication between village elders and National Government Administration Officers.
In addition, the Head of State directed Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to prepare a sessional paper on the role of village elders for consideration by the Cabinet before it is forwarded to Parliament for enactment into law.
The President further announced that all village elders will begin receiving a monthly stipend of KSh3,000 as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen grassroots administration and recognise their contribution to community leadership and security.
The announcement follows the allocation of KSh3.9 billion in the 2026/2027 national budget by Treasury CS John Mbadi to finance the stipend programme.
The initiative is expected to benefit about 110,000 village elders across the country by enhancing local administrative capacity while supporting their role in addressing security and other community challenges.
