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Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Mulongo Barasa has set a date for the official launch of the Social Health Authority (SHA) replacing the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) that has been in place since 1966.

Speaking on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, Health CS announced that SHA will be launched on October 1, 2024.

“Kenya is set to make a major advancement in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) with the official launch of the Social Health Authority (SHA) on October 1, 2024,” a statement shared by the Ministry of Health read in part.

Barasa indicated that SHA will provide affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare services to all Kenyans.

“The comprehensive benefits package for the SHA has been finalised, though current government funding covers only 4 per cent of the total estimated costs,” she explained.

Funding

CS Barasa told key health stakeholders that the government has allocated Ksh6.1 billion for the SHA. However, she made it clear that her ministry requires Ksh168 billion for the full implementation of the new programme.

Barasa acknowledged the funding challenges but reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reducing out-of-pocket expenses and improving healthcare services.

She assured that the SHA will continue to improve as the system evolves and additional funding is secured.

The meeting was attended by key health leaders, including Chair of the Health Committee of Council of Governors Muthomi Njuki, Principal Secretaries Harry Kimtai (Medical Services) and Mary Muthoni (Public Health and Professional Standards), Director General of Health Dr. Patrick Amoth, SHA Chairperson Abdi Mohammed, and SHA CEO Elijah Wachira.

The deadline for registration is set for September 30, 2024. This is in line with the Social Health Act 2023, where every Kenyan is required to register for the SHIF program.

In a guideline released by the Ministry of Health, employers will be required to use SHA Employer Portal (https://sha.go.ke/) to manage their employees’ SHI contributions.

The portal will serve four key functions: register your employees and their dependents, make SHIF contributions on behalf of your employees, generate reports and update employee information.