Mohammed Abdi named as new SHA chair as Olweny shifts to National Cancer Institute

Dr Mohammed Abdi has been appointed as the new chairperson of the Social Health Authority (SHA), effective immediately.

Mohammed replaces Dr Timothy Olweny, who has held the position since November 2023.

The appointment was officially announced in a Special Gazette Notice on Tuesday, which specified that Mohammed's term would last for three years.

Prior to this role, Mohammed was a member of the SHA, focusing on the implementation of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) aimed at achieving Universal Health Coverage.

“The President of the Republic of Kenya and the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, appoints Mohammed Abdi Mohammed (Dr.) to be the Chairperson of the Social Health Authority, for a period of three (3) years, with effect from the 17th September 2024,” reads the notice.

At the same time, Dr Olweny, the outgoing SHA chairperson, has been appointed as the chairperson of the Board of the National Cancer Institute for a term of three years, starting from September 17, 2024.

His appointment follows the revocation of Dr Githinji Gitahi's role as chairperson of the National Cancer Institute Board.

“The Cabinet Secretary for Health appoints Timothy Olweny to be the Chairperson of the Board of the National Cancer Institute, for a period of three (3) years, with effect from September 17, 2024. The appointment of Gitahi Githinji (Dr.) is revoked.”

The SHA's new leadership comes as the government prepares to launch the SHIF on October 1, 2024, replacing the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

Acting SHIF Chief Executive Officer Elijah Wachira announced that the deadline for mandatory registration under the new scheme is September 30, 2024.

He emphasised that employers must ensure all employee registrations are completed by the deadline to avoid disruptions in healthcare coverage.

He said payments made on or before October 9, 2024, will be credited to NHIF, while those made from November 9, 2024, will be allocated to SHA.

Employers have been directed to use the SHA Employer Portal (https://sha.go.ke/) for managing employee SHI contributions, including registration, contribution remittance, and report generation.