Nairobi, Aug. 17 -- When illness strikes, Kenyan families often face two crises: how quickly a loved one can receive care and how the household will pay for it.

For families without adequate health cover, a hospital bill can disrupt school fees, rent, food budgets, business capital and savings. The patient may recover, but the financial strain can linger long after they return home. Kenya's health insurance challenge is therefore also a household financial-security issue.

According to the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, health insurance coverage ranged from only 5 percent among people in the lowest wealth quintile to 58 percent among those in the highest. The disparity shows how closely access to protection remains tied to hou...