The Social Health Authority (SHA) is now up and running, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has confirmed.
He was speaking on Tuesday before the National Assembly’s Committee on Delegated Legislation, where he assured members that the new system is already benefiting many Kenyans.
Duale said although the rollout of SHA experienced initial challenges, it is now functioning well, and thousands of Kenyans are registering daily.
“Like any new programme, SHA faced some teething problems. However, I can now confirm that the system is working, and more Kenyans are benefiting as others continue to register,” said Duale.
He revealed that by the morning of the meeting, over 5,000 people had registered for SHA and projected the number would exceed 10,000 by the end of the day.
The Cabinet Secretary appeared before the Committee, chaired by Ainabkoi MP Samuel Chepkong’a, to explain two draft regulations related to digital health.
These are the Digital Health (Health Information Management Procedures) Regulations, 2025, and the Digital Health (Data Exchange Component) Regulations, 2025.
The regulations aim to build a unified digital healthcare system that also protects patient data privacy.
Committee members welcomed the progress made and praised the rising numbers of Kenyans enrolling in SHA.
“The Ministry, under your leadership, has made commendable progress. But we still need strong public awareness efforts to help more people understand and use the service, especially in rural areas,” said Chepkong’a.
He further suggested that health facilities should clearly indicate the services available under SHA, and be labelled by their service levels—such as Level One or Level Two—to help guide patients on what to expect when they visit.
Duale noted that the new digital health law will support better healthcare delivery by using modern technology, facilitating the implementation of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), and helping to weed out unqualified health practitioners.
In a separate session, the Committee also met with Public Service Commission Chairperson Anthony Muchiri to discuss the Public Service Commission (State Corporations and Public Universities) (Disciplinary Appeals Procedures) Regulations, 2025.
Muchiri said the new rules will ensure a fair and structured approach to handling disciplinary appeals across public service institutions.
The Committee approved all three sets of regulations presented during the sessions.
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