Ministry Flags Off Nationwide Employer Compliance Initiative to Boost Public Health Financing
𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐈, 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚 — 𝟐𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
The Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Dr. Ouma Oluga, officially flagged off the Social Health Authority (SHA) Rapid Results Employer Compliance Initiative at the SHA Headquarters in Nairobi. The campaign is aimed at enhancing compliance with the Social Health Insurance Act and recovering significant arrears from formal sector employers.
Speaking during the launch, Dr. Oluga revealed that over 12,900 employers in Nairobi alone have been flagged for non-compliance, with outstanding remittances exceeding KES 3 billion. “That is not a small figure,” he said, emphasizing the urgent need to recover the funds in order to facilitate timely payments to hospitals and sustain essential healthcare services across the country.
“This is not about punishment—it’s about partnership,” he stressed. “We are here to support employers, explain their obligations, and work with them to ensure that every party contributes to a fair and sustainable health system.”
Dr. Oluga highlighted the structure of Kenya’s reformed public health insurance framework. The government currently covers all Kenyans at the primary healthcare level through the Primary Healthcare Fund. Should a patient’s Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) coverage be exhausted, and their condition classified as chronic, the Emergency, Chronic, and Critical Illness Fund (ECCIF) steps in to provide additional financial protection. Both funds are administered by the SHA.
“This is a shared responsibility,” he said. “Employers must play their part by remitting contributions on time—every 9th of the month.”
He warned that where employers fail to comply even after engagement, legal provisions—including penalties—would be enforced. “We do this not to be punitive, but to be fair to the millions of Kenyans who are faithfully contributing,” he explained.
Dr. Oluga praised the SHA’s shift to a fully digital, transparent and accountable system. He lauded the new digital compliance platform, which he said enables real-time tracking of contributions and facilitates data-driven enforcement. “I’ve just seen it in action. It is transforming the way SHA operates—faster, smarter, and more transparent.”
The PS also acknowledged ongoing efforts to ease the burden for informal sector workers through Lipa SHA Pole Pole, an insurance premium financing model that allows payments in affordable installments. “Once you pay, there is no waiting period—you are covered instantly,” he affirmed.
The Nairobi rollout marks the first phase of the initiative. It will be extended to Kiambu and Kajiado in the coming weeks, before scaling to other counties nationwide. Dr. Oluga urged employers in Nairobi to cooperate with SHA officers, raise questions, and ultimately, ensure compliance.
He also appealed to the media to amplify the message: “Help us spread the word. This is a new SHA, with a new mandate and a new way of doing things.”
The PS thanked the SHA leadership, compliance teams, and stakeholders for their dedication and emphasized the ministry’s resolve to deliver on the promise of universal health coverage.