State sets February 28 deadline for learners' SHA registration
Parents and guardians of school-going children are required to register them on the Social Health Authority through URL afyangu.go.ke or by dialling (*147#) and following the instructions.
The Ministry of Education has urged parents and guardians to ensure their school-going children are registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA) before February 28, 2025. The directive is part of the government's broader plan to guarantee healthcare access for all minors.
In a communication with county and sub-county directors of education, Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang emphasised that the registration aligns with the constitutional right to healthcare services.
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"The Act provides that every Kenyan, including children, shall register on SHA. In this regard, parents and guardians of school-going children are required to register them on the Social Health Authority through URL afyangu.go.ke or by dialling (*147#) and following the instructions," read the letter in part.
The Ministry has called on schools to immediately inform parents about the registration process and provide any necessary assistance to facilitate compliance before the deadline.
Last December, President William Ruto urged parents to accompany their children and register them under the Taifa Care health programme when schools reopen in January 2025.
The initiative is part of the government's commitment to universal healthcare and aims to ensure all students are covered under the national health scheme.
"Come January, when our schools resume, we want all parents to accompany their children and register them under Taifa Care," Ruto said during the 61st Jamhuri Day celebrations in Nairobi.
The programme seeks to provide an inclusive and efficient healthcare service for all learners.
To fast-track registration, the government deployed community health promoters to schools in January to register over 15 million learners by the end of the term in April.
Documentation
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba urged parents to ensure their children have the necessary documents for registration.
He reaffirmed the government's commitment to enrolling students from early childhood development and education (ECDE) centres, primary schools, and secondary schools in both public and private institutions.
The registration drive expands coverage beyond the previous Sh4 billion EduAfya program, which was limited to secondary school students in public institutions.
Under Taifa Care, all primary and secondary school learners will now benefit from comprehensive medical coverage.
By mid-January, over 17 million Kenyans had already been registered under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) initiative.
Ogamba emphasised that the timing of the registration process is ideal for schools.
"The Ministry of Education applauds the timing of this exercise since our schools have fewer restrictions during term one of the school calendar, as opposed to term three, when we administer national examinations," Ogamba said.
Additionally, the Ministry is working to ensure that children without birth certificates receive the necessary documents during registration.
"As you register learners for Taifa Care, we are taking records of those who do not have birth certificates. The Registration Bureau will also register the children and issue them with birth certificates," Ogamba stated.
Parents are encouraged to list their children as dependants under Taifa Care to ensure a smooth registration process.
"All parents must ensure they are all registered in the Taifa Care program and that they list their respective children as dependants, paving the way for the easy enlisting of all our learners," Ogamba urged.
He reiterated that Taifa Care is a major improvement to the EduAfya programme, designed to cover preventive and promotive health services, helping to keep students healthy, improve academic performance, and reduce absenteeism due to illness.
"I urge all parents to enrol all their children as dependants," Ogamba said, emphasizing that the program is a vital step toward a healthier future for Kenya's learners.
With approximately 15 million learners currently in primary and secondary schools, parents have started receiving messages encouraging them to complete their children's health registration.
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