Senators slam the Social Health Authority (SHA) over contributions regulation
Senators have slammed the Social Health Authority (SHA) over regulations requiring patients to make full-year contributions before accessing treatment, accusing the agency of violating constitutional rights and locking out vulnerable Kenyans.
The legislators have described the policy as punitive, demanding an immediate intervention from the Ministry of Health.
Raising the issue on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Taita Taveta Senator Johnes Mwaruma sought a statement from the Standing Committee on Health over what he termed a discriminatory requirement that undermines the constitutional right to healthcare.
“Section 17(1) of the Social Health Insurance (General) Regulations, 2024, provides that households whose income is not derived from salaried employment shall contribute annually to the SHIF at a rate of 2.75 per cent of the household income, as determined through the prescribed means testing instrument under Regulation 21,” Mwaruma said.
He warned that the enforcement of the regulation is causing panic across the country, with Kenyans being turned away from hospitals despite having made contributions, solely because they have not completed a full year of payments.
