Only 1.9 million Kenyans registered with SHA as October 1 deadline looms

Only 1.9 million Kenyans have registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA) as of Saturday evening, the Authority has revealed.

This is despite the Ministry's aim to register 12 million households, which would translate to at least 38 million people, as the transition date of October 1, 2024, looms.

National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) CEO Elijah Wachira said despite opposition to SHA causing disruptions in the training of healthcare workers nationwide, the management has reported an increase in registrations.

“On Saturday, we recorded 120,000 new registrations, and the day before that, 100,000. We now have around 1.9 million Kenyans registered, and the speed of registrations continues to increase,” he said.

He noted that in order to expedite enrollment, a new regulation in the registration process is expected to facilitate the onboarding of Kenyans.

“While we have 70 per cent of the data that will be transferred, 25 per cent of the registration needs to be redone. I am confident we will have 20 million Kenyans registered in due course,” Wachira said.

Job losses fears

Meanwhile, the transition from the NHIF to SHA, set to occur in one day, has created anxiety among NHIF employees, many of whom are concerned about job security amid a new vetting and recruitment process to be conducted by SHA.

Despite the concerns, NHIF management has reassured staff that job losses will not occur.

“No employee will be fired; no employee will lose their job. After SHA finalizes its human resources framework, they will recruit those they need,” Wachira said.

The change marks the end of NHIF's 58-year legacy, a period often overshadowed by allegations of corruption.

The Social Health Insurance Act of 2023 allows for the transfer of assets and contractual obligations from NHIF to the new SHA.

“If there are employment contracts with NHIF, they will automatically be transferred to SHA,” Wachira said.

A report released in March 2024 by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) revealed significant irregularities within NHIF, leading to financial losses.

However, NHIF management has committed to addressing corruption in the new healthcare system.

“Where there is proof of someone being involved in corruption, we have parted ways with them. Where it is just an allegation without proof, people under investigation have been cleared,” Wachira said.