The Ministry of Health (MoH) has laid out a raft of measures the Social Health Authority (SHA) plans to meet the Ksh.102 billion Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) revenue budget for the 2025/26 financial year.
In submissions to the Senate Health Committee, Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa told parliamentarians on Tuesday that SHIF’s revenue budget for the new financial year beginning July is Ksh.101,749,543,800.
This is even as registration and contribution to the public healthcare scheme rolled out last October remain below the government’s targets.
For employed Kenyans, Barasa told senators her ministry will deploy SHA compliance officers to conduct “random employer audits” and track remittance status. It will also mandate payroll integration with human resource (HR) software providers such as Oracle and QuickBooks for automated deductions.
MoH plans to issue circulars mandating employer compliance and link SHA contributions to pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) deductions.
Additionally, the ministry seeks to link SHA registration with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), National Social Security Fund (NSSF), National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), Huduma Namba and the National Registration Bureau (NRB) for “better member identification”.
Barasa said they will also introduce employer engagement, sensitisation sessions and SHA workshops for HR and payroll teams.
“Send SHA compliance updates via official corporate emails; send personalised reminders to employers for timely remittances; engage professionals through LinkedIn, webinars, and industry roundtables,” the minister said.
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At the same time, MoH plans financial penalties on employers who fail to register and remit contributions as it expands SHA payment channels to include bank payments, agency banking, and SHA-linked payroll deductions.
Kenyans in the informal sector will, meanwhile, see localised community engagement, mass awareness campaigns, mobile-based registration and partnerships with informal sector associations such as trade unions and co-operatives.
MoH further seeks to introduce flexible payment and contribution models, enable contributions via mobile banking platforms like M-Pesa and invest in digital and influencer marketing.
The ministry wants to introduce targeted subsidies for “the elderly, poor, and vulnerable” to encourage Kenyans to register for SHA, and offer incentives for early adopters “to create a sense of urgency.”
Since replacing the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) in October, SHA has collected Ksh.36.8 billion in revenue.
This is across its three constituent funds; Primary Health Care Fund (PHCF), Emergency Chronic and Critical Illness Fund (ECCIF) and Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
While the first two are government-funded, SHIF relies on Kenyans’ contributions. CS Barasa on Tuesday said SHIF alone had collected Ksh.31.2 billion up to March 15.
Last month, MoH said 18,988,530 Kenyans had been registered for SHA.
Even so, criticism over the new public healthcare scheme has continued since the transition over concerns of its meagre benefits and cries from Kenyans unable to get treatment despite paying premiums.
