SHA Accredited Hospitals in Kenya: How to Find One Near You

Finding a SHA accredited hospital is straightforward once you know where to look. The official SHA portal and a simple USSD code give you the full list of facilities accepting your coverage—no guesswork. This matters because the SHA contract network is not fixed; facilities are onboarded, suspended for compliance issues, and occasionally off-boarded. The only way to be certain is to check on the day you plan to seek care.

The two places that actually work

The contracted facilities directory at sha.go.ke/contracted-facilities is SHA's published list of every currently contracted facility. Search by county and facility name. If it appears in the list, SHA covers it.

The second tool is the eligibility portal at eligibility.sha.go.ke, the same portal hospital admissions clerks use. It confirms your active status and can be cross-checked against the facility's ability to draw down against your cover. Log in with your credentials to verify your side is correct.

How to search step by step

On the SHA facilities directory: Visit sha.go.ke/contracted-facilities. The directory renders through a JavaScript-driven interface; if the page appears empty in your browser, allow scripts or try a different browser. Then search or filter by your county and the facility name. If your hospital shows up, it is currently contracted.

By phone, the instant way: Dial ***147# to verify that your SHA registration is active. This USSD code also confirms your coverage level. Call the hospital directly and ask the admissions desk if they accept SHA. Most do. If you hit uncertainty, ring the SHA helpline on 0800 720 601.

What matters before you go: Contracts and services can change, so confirm that the facility accepts SHA for the care you need and that your own cover is active before a planned visit. Do not assume last month's list is still good.

Public versus private: what you need to know

Public Level 2 to 6 facilities are contracted by default; private facilities contract individually. This means all your county's public clinics, health centres and hospitals should accept SHA. Private hospitals must sign their own deal with SHA, so check before you go.

Scale matters. Kenya's Social Health Authority is working with more than 10,000 accredited facilities, reimbursing lower-level clinics directly. Each county has hundreds. Nairobi alone has 1,483+ verified SHA hospitals, clinics, maternity homes, and medical centers. In smaller counties, the network is tighter but real.

A significant slice of Kenya's hospital capacity is faith-based. The largest of these are widely reported to be contracted with SHA, but for a specific mission hospital, check sha.go.ke/contracted-facilities or call the facility's admissions desk directly and cross-check with the SHA helpline.

When things go wrong

The system is live and contracts shift. As of April 2025, SHA reported 31 facilities closed for fraud investigation, and further facility churn has continued through 2026. This is why checking before you travel saves you a wasted trip and stress at the desk.

If a facility tells you SHA is down or cannot process your claim on the day, ask them to call SHA. Hospital admissions teams talk to SHA daily. If the portal showed the facility as contracted when you checked, SHA will sort it. You should not pay out of pocket at an accredited facility if your registration is active.

Finding a facility near you

Filter by facility type, level and sub-county to find the nearest facility. The SHA portal lets you search by location. If you need a specific type of care—maternity, dental, surgery, specialist—filter for that too. Not every clinic does everything.

For help navigating accreditation or registration, SHA registration experts can guide you through the setup. If you need to understand your deductions, a SHIF deduction calculator shows what comes out of your pay. And find a verified Kenyan expert on Kaziiko if you need help unpacking your coverage or benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my local hospital accepts SHA?

Visit sha.go.ke/contracted-facilities and search by county and hospital name. If it appears, SHA contracts it. Call the hospital to double-check, or dial *147# on your phone to verify your own registration status and ask the admissions team.

Do all government hospitals accept SHA?

Public Level 2 to 6 facilities are contracted by default. All county and national public hospitals should accept SHA. Private hospitals must be checked individually because they contract separately.

What if the SHA portal says a hospital is contracted but they turn me away?

This is rare but happens. Ask the facility to call SHA immediately. Hospital staff can reach SHA to confirm your eligibility and their ability to process your claim. If your registration is active and the facility is listed as contracted on sha.go.ke, SHA will help resolve it. Do not pay out of pocket without asking to speak to the administrator first.

Can I use facilities outside my county?

Yes. You can visit any SHA accredited facility across Kenya as long as your registration is active. Search the facility in the SHA contracted facilities directory, confirm your coverage status via *147#, and go. The facility does not have to be in your county.