Nairobi, Kenya — Kenyans seeking medical care under the Social Health Authority (SHA) will no longer need to present physical documents or rely on one-time passwords (OTP) for approvals, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has announced.
Starting today, authorisations for SHA-covered services will now be processed exclusively through biometric health ID verification or the Practice 360 mobile application, officially marking Kenya’s shift into a fully digitised national health ecosystem.
Speaking during the launch of the National Biometric Verification System at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH), Duale said the change is aimed at eliminating fraud and inefficiencies that have plagued the health insurance programme for years.
“This biometric system will help us eliminate fraud, reduce paperwork, shorten queues, and ensure more time is spent on patient care,” Duale said.
“This digital superhighway forms the backbone of a transparent, patient-centred, and efficient health system.”
Nationwide Rollout
According to Duale, biometric registration is now live in all Level 4, 5, and 6 health facilities across the country. Lower-tier facilities—Level 2 and 3—are being onboarded in phases.
The CS also launched the Practice 360 app, which allows healthcare professionals to manage pre-authorisations, claims, and services in real time. The app is geo-tagged to the specific health facilities where the providers are stationed.
“All healthcare workers now have an opportunity to view, approve, and manage authorisations directly through the app,” he added.
No More Physical Documents
Patients will no longer be required to carry hard-copy documents or IDs to hospitals. Instead, healthcare providers will identify and access patient records through biometric scans.
The system is expected to curb fraudulent claims, a longstanding challenge that has seen billions lost in Kenya’s public health insurance systems.
Over 25 Million Already Enrolled
Duale confirmed that over 25 million Kenyans have already registered for the new SHA programme. So far, more than 10,000 facilities—including public, private, and faith-based institutions—have been contracted under the scheme.
He also issued a warning to pharmaceutical providers: SHA will not reimburse for medicines that have not been dispensed, and drug companies must upload verified product data within 30 days or risk deregistration.
“SHA will not reimburse any facility for medicine that wasn’t dispensed to a patient. We’re serious about accountability,” Duale stressed.
