NAIROBI, Kenya – The Ministry of Health has defended the automatic enrollment of Kenyans into the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), asserting that the process is legal despite mounting criticism over the lack of consent.
The ministry clarified that the transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to SHIF is backed by law, as per Legal Notice 147 of 2024.
As SHIF’s nationwide rollout began on October 1, former NHIF members received SMS notifications indicating their automatic migration to the new Social Health Authority (SHA).
The message read: “Your NHIF account has been migrated successfully to [the] Social Health Authority. To update your profile dial *147# or visit sha.go.ke.”
The sudden transition has sparked backlash from sections of the public, with many arguing that being transferred without their explicit consent violates their rights.
Some have also raised concerns about transparency and the necessity of overhauling NHIF instead of improving it.
In response, Health Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai issued a statement defending the migration, emphasizing that it guarantees uninterrupted healthcare coverage.
“This process ensures continuity of coverage, and members are encouraged to verify, update their profiles, and add dependents through our official SHA channels at www.sha.go.ke,” Kimtai said.
Acknowledging the technical challenges that have plagued the system since the rollout, Kimtai assured Kenyans that the issues were being addressed.
“Our technical teams are working 24 hours to manage the increased demand on the system and improve service delivery. Kenyans will experience smoother services as we progress,” he noted.
He also clarified that patients admitted under the NHIF system before September 30 will still be discharged using NHIF packages and should not face any disruption.
Additionally, Kimtai said most public health facilities and 60 percent of private facilities had already been contracted by SHA to ensure seamless service provision, with updates available on SHA’s website.
Despite the ministry’s reassurances, SHIF continues to face criticism, particularly regarding the mandatory 2.75 percent income contribution required from all Kenyans, with a minimum contribution of Ksh.300.
Detractors, including the Council of Governors (COG), have accused the national government of bypassing county authorities in the fund’s implementation.
Meanwhile, the SHIF rollout has been met with a legal challenge spearheaded by Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah.
Along with two other petitioners, Omtatah has moved to court seeking to halt the fund’s implementation, arguing that the subsidiary legislation required to operationalize the Social Insurance Health Act is not in place.
The petitioners have also questioned the legality of the Ksh.104 billion contract awarded to the Safaricom consortium, which was tasked with providing the healthcare information technology system for Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
They argue that the tender, awarded through direct procurement, lacked justification and was not transparent.
The ministry clarified that the transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to SHIF is backed by law, as per Legal Notice 147 of 2024.
As SHIF’s nationwide rollout began on October 1, former NHIF members received SMS notifications indicating their automatic migration to the new Social Health Authority (SHA).
The message read: “Your NHIF account has been migrated successfully to [the] Social Health Authority. To update your profile dial *147# or visit sha.go.ke.”
The sudden transition has sparked backlash from sections of the public, with many arguing that being transferred without their explicit consent violates their rights.
Some have also raised concerns about transparency and the necessity of overhauling NHIF instead of improving it.
In response, Health Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai issued a statement defending the migration, emphasizing that it guarantees uninterrupted healthcare coverage.
“This process ensures continuity of coverage, and members are encouraged to verify, update their profiles, and add dependents through our official SHA channels at www.sha.go.ke,” Kimtai said.
Acknowledging the technical challenges that have plagued the system since the rollout, Kimtai assured Kenyans that the issues were being addressed.
“Our technical teams are working 24 hours to manage the increased demand on the system and improve service delivery. Kenyans will experience smoother services as we progress,” he noted.
He also clarified that patients admitted under the NHIF system before September 30 will still be discharged using NHIF packages and should not face any disruption.
Additionally, Kimtai said most public health facilities and 60 percent of private facilities had already been contracted by SHA to ensure seamless service provision, with updates available on SHA’s website.
Despite the ministry’s reassurances, SHIF continues to face criticism, particularly regarding the mandatory 2.75 percent income contribution required from all Kenyans, with a minimum contribution of Ksh.300.
Detractors, including the Council of Governors (COG), have accused the national government of bypassing county authorities in the fund’s implementation.
Meanwhile, the SHIF rollout has been met with a legal challenge spearheaded by Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah.
Along with two other petitioners, Omtatah has moved to court seeking to halt the fund’s implementation, arguing that the subsidiary legislation required to operationalize the Social Insurance Health Act is not in place.
The petitioners have also questioned the legality of the Ksh.104 billion contract awarded to the Safaricom consortium, which was tasked with providing the healthcare information technology system for Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
They argue that the tender, awarded through direct procurement, lacked justification and was not transparent.
