Turkana Central DCC: No Relief Food Without SHA Registration
Turkana Central Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Thomas Siele has announced that residents must register for the Social Health Authority (SHA) program to receive relief food.
In a video, Siele confirmed that the area chief has 600 bags of relief food set for distribution starting Wednesday. However, only those enrolled in the SHA program will be eligible to receive the aid.
“The other day, I received around 600 bags of relief food. Before anyone collects food from the chief when we begin distribution tomorrow, the first, second, and final condition is SHA—you must register to receive the food,” Siele stated.
While acknowledging that SHA registration is voluntary, Siele emphasized its significance, explaining that it ensures residents can access healthcare when needed.
“We don’t want to feed people who later fall ill but cannot afford treatment, forcing them to seek financial assistance from the Deputy Governor for hospital care,” he added.
The DCC reiterated that the registration process is free and voluntary but urged residents to enroll, highlighting the long-term healthcare benefits. He also stressed the need for awareness campaigns to increase the program’s registration numbers.
As of February, the Ministry of Health reported that 19,340,978 people had registered for SHA. Health CS Deborah Barasa revealed that 8,813 out of 17,755 health facilities (56% of all active facilities) had enrolled, with 89% successfully logging into the system.
However, Barasa noted that registration rates remained low over weekends, particularly in Turkana, West Pokot, and Samburu counties. She stated that the ministry would intensify community outreach efforts to boost SHA enrollment beyond health service points.
