Social Health Authority (Kenya)

Social Health Authority

SHA
Government Agency overview
Formed	22 November 2023
Preceding Government Agency	National Health Insurance Fund
Jurisdiction	Kenya
Government Agency executives	Dr. Mohammed Abdi Mohammed, Chairman of the Board of Directors Robert Ingasira, Chief Executive Officer (Acting)
Website	https://sha.go.ke/

The Social Health Authority (SHA) is a State Corporation of the Government of Kenya that is responsible for the provision and management of public health insurance within the Republic of Kenya. The core business and mandate of the SHA is to provide accessible, affordable, sustainable and quality health insurance for all Kenyan citizens, and foreigners, where applicable. The SHA replaced the previous National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) through an Act of Parliament, the Social Health Insurance Act, on 22 November 2023 and began operations on 1 October 2024.

History

The previous National Hospital Insurance Fund was established in 1966 as a department within the Ministry of Health through the National Health Insurance Act, and remained Kenya's primary authority for management of public health insurance until its abolishment in 2023.

The Social Health Insurance Act was enacted on 22 November 2023 with a view to streamlining public health insurance in Kenya. As part of this intention, public health insurance was subdivided into three separate insurance schemes: the Primary Healthcare Fund, the Social Health Insurance Fund and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund, in addition to the NHIF being abolished together with its parent Act and replaced with the SHA, which would be responsible for managing the three schemes alongside its other responsibilities.