Only 464,263 Kenyans registered on SHIF as MoH cites court cases among skirmishes facing Act

The SHIF program is part of the state's plan to realise the Universal Health Coverage touted as one of President William Ruto's legacy projects. The Fund was made mandatory requiring all Kenyans to register. 

Despite a mass registration drive launched on July 1, 2024, the numbers fell short against a target of 15 million that was recently announced by President William Ruto.

This also fell short of the current National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) membership of 14 million Kenyans. 

According to a statement by Medical Services PS Harry Kimtai, one of the main challenges facing SHIF was the multiple court cases challenging its legality.

On July 12, 2024, the High Court declared SHIF unconstitutional, citing lack of public participation. In the judgment, Parliament was granted 120 days to correct the legislation. 

The Ministry also faced delays in procuring the ICT systems needed to implement the SHIF structure. Developing health benefits packages that suited all stakeholders also proved to be a major challenge. 

PS Kimtai also pointed out that financing became another issue as it is heavily reliant on the informal sector. 

"The financing is heavily dependent on the informal sector (>70% of the revenue), which is volatile. Despite the interventions like premium financing, the Authority will still be exposed to adversity in the initial phases," he said. 

Another challenge involved reaching out to Kenyans who lack access to internet connectivity and power supply. 

Despite the challenges, the PS noted that system procurement is at an advanced stage while 7,876 healthcare providers were enlisted at the SHA website. 

In terms of the benefits package, PS Kimtai said that the tariff was approved by the SHA board and awaits national validation that will take place early August. 

He also revealed that the transition committee has finalised its work on and will submit the report by August 8, 2024. The committee was appointed on January 26, 2024, and tasked to develop a clear roadmap on the transition from NHIF to SHIF.