Friday 28th August, 2026 11:11 PM|
The Social Health Authority (SHA) has registered more than 32 million Kenyans, but only about 5 million had paid their premiums by July 31, 2026, prompting Members of Parliament to demand stronger efforts to turn registration into active health coverage.
The figures presented to the National Assembly Health Committee show a stark gap between SHA registration and contribution. A total of 32,180,494 Kenyans had registered with SHA by the end of July, equivalent to 67.7 per cent of the country’s population.
But only about 5 million registered members had made premium payments.
The disparity has put the spotlight on one of the biggest challenges facing Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage programme: getting Kenyans not only to register for SHA but also to maintain active membership through regular contributions.
Why MPs are concerned about SHA contributions
The issue was discussed during a joint retreat involving the National Assembly Health Committee, SHA and the Digital Health Agency (DHA) in Mombasa.
The committee welcomed the growth in SHA registration but said the government now needs to focus on increasing the number of registered members who actively contribute.
Committee chair and Seme MP James Nyikal said Kenya could not rely on registration numbers alone to measure the success of the health insurance programme.
“Registration is not enough. We should put more energy into ensuring that more people are paying for health insurance,” Nyikal said.
His remarks shift the focus from how many Kenyans are enrolled to a more important question: how many are actively contributing and able to benefit from the scheme when they need healthcare?
The latest figures show that registration has reached a significant milestone, with more than two-thirds of Kenya’s population enrolled.
However, the contribution figures are substantially lower. In practical terms, this means that millions of Kenyans have registered with SHA but had not paid premiums by the date of the figures presented to MPs.
The Health Committee wants greater emphasis placed on closing that gap, arguing that higher active membership will be critical to expanding access to affordable and quality healthcare.
MPs want SHA to work with counties
Endebess MP Robert Pukose called for stronger cooperation between SHA, elected leaders and county governments to increase public awareness about contributions.
“This matter should concern all of us,” Pukose said, urging SHA to partner with leaders to educate Kenyans on the importance of paying for SHA after enrolment.
He also called for closer cooperation with county governments.
The proposal could give SHA a wider grassroots network for explaining the scheme, particularly in areas where registration remains relatively low.
SHA targets households with irregular incomes
One potential reason for the contribution challenge is the varying ability of Kenyan households to make regular payments.
SHA Chief Executive Officer Mercy Mwangangi told the committee that the Authority is developing contribution arrangements that take into account irregular and seasonal household incomes.
The move is significant for households whose earnings fluctuate during the year and may make regular contributions difficult.
SHA is also following up with registered members who are no longer actively covered as part of efforts to increase the number of people maintaining active membership.
The Authority identified Turkana, Garissa, Wajir, Marsabit, Mandera, Tana River, Isiolo, Narok, West Pokot and Trans Nzoia among counties with lower registration levels.
The figures highlight a second challenge for SHA: while the national registration rate has climbed, some counties still require additional enrollment efforts.
For Parliament, however, increasing registration is only part of the task. The bigger challenge is converting Kenya’s 32.18 million registered members into a much larger pool of active contributors.
As SHA continues implementing Universal Health Coverage (UHC), lawmakers are calling for stronger public awareness, closer partnerships with county governments and contribution arrangements that reflect the economic realities of Kenyan households.
