President William Ruto has opened a new Social Health Authority (SHA) block at the General Service Unit (GSU) Embakasi Health Centre in Nairobi. Ruto officially opened the facility on Friday, September 18, during the 50th passing-out parade of GSU recruits at the National Police College, Embakasi ‘B’ Campus. The President said the new block was part of government efforts to improve access to medical services for security officers and their families.

“Here at Embakasi, the newly built SHA block at the GSU Health Centre will further strengthen access to care,” Ruto said.

The facility is expected to support the provision of healthcare services to officers through the Social Health Authority, which replaced the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) as part of Kenya’s transition to a new health financing system. Ruto also announced that the government was expanding mental health and psychosocial support services for security officers. He said police officers can be exposed to traumatic situations while carrying out their duties, making access to appropriate psychological support an important part of their welfare.

“We are also expanding mental-health and psychosocial support because courage does not make an officer immune to trauma, and seeking help must never be mistaken for weakness,” Ruto said.

The President’s remarks place mental health alongside physical healthcare as part of broader efforts to improve the welfare of members of the security services. The new SHA block at the GSU health centre is therefore expected to complement other measures aimed at improving healthcare access for officers as the government continues to implement reforms within the National Police Service. Ruto made the remarks as he presided over the passing-out parade of newly trained GSU recruits, who completed their training and are set to take up assignments across the country.