The Ministry of Health has committed to ensuring that all inmates across the country are registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA), facilitating access to medical services when needed.
Medical Services Principal Secretary Dr Ouma Oluga emphasised that this initiative will help inmates receive timely healthcare, particularly when they fall ill.
He highlighted that access to affordable and quality healthcare is a crucial aspect of the bottom-up economic model.
Oluga made the announcement during the official launch of the Social Health Authority and identification card registration at Lang’ata Women Prison.
“If you have not registered, you are denying yourself a chance to access health services at any facility across the country,” Oluga stressed.
Also in attendance were PS State Department for Correctional Services Salome Muhia, Immigration and Citizen Services PS Belio Kipsang and PS Parliamentary Affairs Aurelia Rono, along with other state officers.
At least 18,243,251 Kenyans had registered under the new Social Health Authority (SHA) scheme as of February.
The ministry said that 4.6 million Kenyans transitioned from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to SHA and needed to update their profiles.
The ministry further said the Health Information Exchange had been fully deployed as of December 2024.
The system allows seamless sharing of patient records across health facilities, improving efficiency and continuity of care under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program.
It Includes Client Registry, Health Care Provider Registry, and Health Facility Registry.
The ministry said that at least 2.5 million people had undergone means testing with Community Heath Promoters assisting with SHA registration.
Kenya transitioned from NHIF to the Social Health Authority to establish a more inclusive UHC structure.
SHIF is a comprehensive public health insurance service established by the Social Health Insurance Act of 2023.
The programme, launched in October 2024 under SHA transitioned almost all Kenyans from the defunct NHIF to SHIF.
Unlike the NHIF, which primarily targeted the formal sector and employed individuals, SHIF aims to provide health insurance for every citizen, including those in the informal sector and vulnerable groups who have been historically underserved.
SHIF introduced a tiered contribution system that factors in the income levels of contributors.
