PSC extends deployment of 1,400 former NHIF staff at SHA for third time
The Public Service Commission has extended for six months the temporary deployment of over 1,400 former NHIF staff to the Social Health Authority, amid delayed recruitment and ongoing concerns over SHA services.
Tensions continue to grow as more than 1,400 former employees of the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) remain on temporary duty at the Social Health Authority (SHA).
The Public Service Commission (PSC) has extended thier deployment for a third time, highlighting ongoing delays in confirming permanent staff despite assurances that SHA was fully operational.
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PSC Chief Executive Officer Paul Famba confirmed the extension in a letter to the State Department for Medical Services dated November 21, 2025, just days before the previous deployment was set to expire.
The extension followed a request from SHA for guidance on retaining the former NHIF staff while recruitment processes are finalised (Ref. No. SHA/CNF/ADM/003/VOL.X/152).
“The Commission has decided and directed that the deployment of all the staff of the defunct NHIF to SHA be and is hereby extended for a further period of six (6) months or until the recruitment exercise at SHA is fully completed, whichever comes earlier,” Famba stated.
SHA has been directed to inform all employees affected and implement the decision immediately.
The extension does not apply to contract directors who have not secured positions through the ongoing recruitment exercise.
Catherine Mungania Kinya, Corporation Secretary and Director of Legal Services, will remain on temporary terms until the position is competitively filled.
The former NHIF employees were first deployed to SHA on temporary contracts starting November 22, 2024, and have already had two prior extensions.
On June 11, 215 staff members were reassigned to the PSC for redeployment to other government agencies.
Dr Mercy Mwangangi, SHA Chief Executive Officer since April 11, 2025, is leading recruitment for department heads as the government works to fully operationalise the authority.
Since SHA’s rollout on October 1 last year, the scheme has faced public frustration.
Kenyans have reported paying out of pocket during system downtimes, unclear benefits, and slow approval of claims.
Health professionals and Members of Parliament have criticised the transition from NHIF to SHA as disorganised, highlighting system inefficiencies and coverage gaps.
Despite these challenges, the government continues to encourage registration, pointing to SHA as central to President William Ruto’s Universal Health Coverage plan.
The scheme is intended to provide equitable access to healthcare, with a focus on “leaving no one behind,” though concerns remain over implementation issues and service reliability.
As recruitment delays persist, former NHIF employees and patients alike face uncertainty, leaving the authority under scrutiny while it attempts to stabilise operations and deliver promised healthcare services.
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