Parents have been directed to log into their Social Health Authority (SHA) systems and confirm details of their dependents and their birth certificates.
Speaking during a presser informing Kenyans on the progress of the SHA rollout three months after its implementation, Health Director General Dr Patrick Amoth revealed that the Ministry has integrated the registration system with the Government of Kenya’s (GoK) data sources to enhance clarity in details of the dependents.
“We’ve integrated the registration system with GoK data sources like NHIF, civil registry, and NEMIS to address issues with capturing birth certificates. Parents are encouraged to log in and confirm their dependents,” Amoth said during the presser.
This is after a section of parents and Kenyans registering into the SHA system pointed out the challenges in registering dependents as well as those tied to birth certificates.
Dr Patrick Amoth, the Director General of Health during a press briefing on January 15, 2025.
Ministry of Health
Parents complained of delays in registration having to endure long waiting times to receive necessary documents like birth notifications or certificates.
Parents sometimes wait for hours to receive their One-Time Password (OTP) for verification causing delays.
Amoth also explained that the SHA registration system now works together with government databases like the National Hospital Insurance Fund ( NHIF), civil registry, and the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
According to Amoth, this will help to fix problems with getting birth certificates. Parents have been directed to log in to the system and check if their children’s information is correct.
During the presser, Amoth also informed that more Kenyans have registered to SHA, expressing optimism that the number will continue growing as he encouraged more Kenyans to register.
“Over 17.8 million Kenyans have registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA), including 13.2 million new members and 4.6 million transitioned from NHIF. SHA reforms aim to end financial hardship caused by out-of-pocket healthcare costs,” Amoth continued.
The DG further revealed that over 7,900 facilities have signed manual contracts with SHA while 2,602 others have completed e-contracting, and 1,753 are finalising the process.
The ministry has directed facilities with incomplete details to address this for efficient service delivery and the ministry has noted the delays in reimbursement.
A photo of the main entrance to the Social Health Authority headquarters.
Photo
Social Health Authority