Nationwide 911-Style Ambulance Service to Be Rolled Out Across Kenya.

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Nationwide 911-Style Ambulance Service to Be Rolled Out Across Kenya.

SHA CEO Dr. Mercy Mwangangi (centre) addresses a press briefing in Nairobi today on the rollout of the nationwide emergency ambulance service program.

Nairobi - October 3, 2025 

Kenyans are set to benefit from a new nationwide emergency ambulance service, after the government unveiled a program that promises free evacuation and critical care within the first 24 hours of any medical emergency

The scheme, spearheaded by the Social Health Authority (SHA) in partnership with the Ministry of Health, development agencies and the Emergency Medicine Kenya Foundation (EMKF), is set to launch within the next two months.

Speaking today in Nairobi, SHA CEO, Dr. Mercy Mwangangi said the initiative is designed to fulfill the constitutional mandate that guarantees all Kenyans access to emergency healthcare.

Under the program, citizens facing emergencies will be able to dial a toll-free number to reach a central dispatch center. Using a fully digitized system, dispatchers will locate the nearest ambulance and direct it to the scene before transporting the patient to a designated Emergency Care Center (ECC).

“This service will be available to every Kenyan, whether or not they are registered under SHA,” She said. “Once you call the toll-free line, our dispatchers will assess your situation and, if confirmed as an emergency, immediately deploy an ambulance for evacuation.”

SHA has committed to reimburse ambulance providers at a flat rate of KSh 4,500 per evacuation. Coverage will not only be limited to road ambulances but, boats and other specialized vehicles will also be used in regions where water transport is a necessity.

Beyond evacuation, SHA will cover the first 24 hours of treatment at emergency facilities. After that period, patients who are subscribed to the SHA program will continue receiving support under a cost-sharing arrangement, while non-members will have to pay for additional care out of pocket.

Emergency Medicine Kenya Foundation Executive Director, Dr. Benjamin Washira, hailed the program as a “historic milestone” in Kenya’s healthcare sector.

“For decades, mothers have died on the way to hospitals, accident victims have been left at the mercy of bystanders and countless lives have been lost before reaching medical facilities,” he said. “This rollout will change the story by providing lifesaving care at the community level and transporting patients safely to facilities.”

The system will be anchored on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) emergency care framework to ensure sustainability and effectiveness. Dispatchers and responders are being trained to deliver first aid and stabilization before hospital admission, a step experts say will reduce maternal deaths, road accident fatalities and other preventable losses.

“This is Kenya’s version of the 911 system,” Washira added. “It’s a big step forward, and it will save lives.”

The program is expected to significantly strengthen Kenya’s emergency preparedness, particularly in rural and underserved areas where access to quick, reliable ambulance services has remained a challenge.

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