NHIF Is Gone. If You Never Moved to SHA, Read This.

The Social Health Authority (SHA) replaced NHIF on 1 October 2024 under law. This wasn't a name change. NHIF is gone. The system, the portal, the card — all of it is now SHA.

If you haven't moved your healthcare to SHA yet, you need to do this now. The Ministry of Health has flagged that 4.3 to 4.6 million Kenyans migrated from NHIF but have still not updated their SHA profiles. That means millions of people could walk into a hospital and find out their coverage is incomplete or not there at all.

What Changed

SHA costs 2.75% of gross pay, minimum KSh 300 per month, with no upper cap. Under NHIF, there was a graduated system capped at KSh 1,700 a month. That cap is gone. A worker earning KSh 500,000 paid KSh 1,700 under NHIF and now pays KSh 13,750 under SHA.

Your employer still deducts it from your pay. It's no longer called NHIF on your payslip. The contribution is called SHIF (Social Health Insurance Fund) and is remitted to SHA. If you're self-employed or informal, you pay the KSh 300 minimum yourself or more depending on what you declare.

SHA is deducted before PAYE. So it comes off your gross pay before tax is calculated. Importantly, SHIF doesn't carry the old KSh 1,700 ceiling — SHA is percentage-based, not graduated, so the old NHIF table does not apply.

How to Register

You register for free. No card to buy, no application fee.

The simplest way is by phone. Dial *147# on any phone, choose the register option, enter your ID number and confirm your details from the national registry. The system guides you through it. You get an SMS when you're done. Registration is usually instant on *147# or the portal.

If you prefer online, visit sha.go.ke and choose the self-registration option. Have your National ID and phone number ready. Enter your ID number and active phone number, verify with the OTP sent to your phone, create a password, fill in your personal and employment details, and submit. Then you'll see your SHA membership come up on your employment record or mobile app within hours.

If you find you have duplicate records, resolve them at any SHA branch or Huduma Centre. This happens to some people because the data migration from NHIF wasn't perfect.

What You Need to Know About Coverage

SHA splits funds across three: Primary Healthcare Fund for outpatient and primary care; Social Health Insurance Fund for inpatient and specialist; and Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund for major events. The practical upshot: you're covered at government hospitals and a list of private facilities that have agreed to take SHA patients.

When you go to a hospital, ask the staff to check your SHA status before seeking treatment. SHA publishes a formal registration and eligibility check at eligibility.sha.go.ke. Facilities check this before billing SHA.

Not every private hospital accepts SHA, and some government facilities have had delays processing claims. If you're going for treatment, confirm the facility is empanelled — that's the word Kenyans use now — before you go in.

If You've Never Worked Here

Unemployed Kenyans are still legally required to register with SHA. Under Tier 2 (non-salaried), a household with no declared income effectively pays the KSh 300 minimum per month. Go to sha.go.ke/register or dial *147# and you'll need a valid Kenyan National ID and a Safaricom number.

If paying monthly is a problem, there's an instalment plan called Lipa SHA Pole Pole with no interest and no extra charges. You can also pay the full year upfront via M-PESA Paybill 200222 with your National ID as the account number.

Adding Family Members

Your spouse and children don't automatically come over from your old NHIF record. The SHA system requires every member — including dependents — to be freshly verified and registered. Missing this step could mean your family is turned away when they need care most.

You add them when you first register or later on your SHA profile. You'll need their ID numbers or birth certificates. Add your dependants with their ID or birth certificate numbers when prompted.

Other Things to Know

The system is stable now, but it's had a rocky year. Hospital claims were slow. Some facilities refused to accept SHA patients. The government is still working through these issues. The Health CS has assured Kenyans that no patient will be denied treatment simply because a facility has not completed its migration to a new digital system — patients should not regard transition deadlines as deadlines for accessing healthcare.

If you lose your job, your SHIF contributions don't stop. You still need to pay, though you may qualify for a lower rate if your household has very little income. Complete the Means Testing questionnaire at afyayangu.go.ke — it runs 30 to 45 minutes and asks about household composition, housing, water and electricity, assets, education, and employment.

You can check your status anytime on the SHA registration portal or by dialling the SHA toll-free helpline 0800 720 601. If you're confused about fees or coverage, a SHA registration expert can walk you through the setup in 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is NHIF still active?

No. The SHA officially replaced NHIF on 1 October 2024. NHIF is closed. All health insurance in Kenya now runs through SHA. If anyone tells you to use your NHIF card or number, they're out of date.

Can I use my old NHIF number as my SHA number?

No. NHIF numbers did not carry across. You need a new SHA registration. Your NHIF contribution history is recognised, but you must register separately on SHA to have current coverage.

How much will I pay if I'm self-employed?

The minimum is KSh 300 a month. If you declare a household income, you pay 2.75% of that. So if your household income is KSh 50,000 a month, you pay KSh 1,375 a month (plus the minimum applies if that's higher). You can declare your income and pay the 2.75% or the KSh 300 minimum yourself each month via the SHA portal or M-PESA Paybill 200222.

What if I don't register?

Registration is a legal requirement for every resident. Your access to government-subsidised healthcare now depends on your SHA status, whether you are a salaried employee, self-employed or a student. Health facilities check eligibility before treatment. No registration, no cover.