SHA & medical cover guide 2026
For anyone in Kenya who must register with SHA, pay it, check that it is active or add private medical cover on top.
Who this guide is for
- You must register yourself or your family with SHA
- Your SHA shows inactive, or you do not know what it pays
- You are an employer paying SHA for staff
What is inside: table of contents
The PDF puts together 8 guides of Tulinde Kenya, word for word: each chapter opens with its short answer, then the full sections, the frequently asked questions and the date it was last reviewed. All 45 sources — the laws, the regulator and the official documents each fact comes from — are listed at the end, with their links.
- SHA registration: the complete guide (online, *147#, assisted registration, documents, dependants)
Who must register · Register online, step by step · Register by phone (*147#) or in person · Documents you need · Adding your spouse and children · Means testing and what you pay · How to pay and check your status · Late payment and access to care · What SHA covers: the three funds
Reviewed 28 October 2026 · 13 questions · 22 sources
- How to pay SHA: paybill 200222, *147#, Lipa SHA Pole Pole and what happens if you are late
The four official ways to pay SHA · Pay SHA by M-PESA paybill, step by step · How much to pay · Paying in instalments: Lipa SHA Pole Pole · If you are an employer · What happens if you pay late or stop paying
Reviewed 21 October 2026 · 6 questions · 8 sources
- How much is SHA per month? Contribution calculator (2.75%, minimum KES 300)
The rules behind the calculator · How much is SHA per month: worked examples · How to pay · Topping up SHA with private cover
Reviewed 28 October 2026 · 6 questions · 7 sources
- How to check your SHA status in Kenya: active or inactive, and how to fix it
Check your SHA status online in four steps · See your contributions and penalties on afyayangu.go.ke · What "inactive" means — and what you can still use · Why SHA marks a member inactive · How to become active again · At the hospital: how your status is checked
Reviewed 28 October 2026 · 6 questions · 19 sources
- What does SHA cover? The SHA benefits package and what SHA pays, fund by fund
The three SHA funds and who can use them · Primary Healthcare Fund: what SHA pays at your local clinic · Social Health Insurance Fund: hospital care at Levels 4 to 6 · Cancer care after the May 2026 update · Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund · What the SHA package leaves to you — and when private cover helps
Reviewed 28 October 2026 · 6 questions · 7 sources
- CR number in SHA: what it is, where to find it and when you need it
What the CR number is · Where SHA asks for a CR number · How to find your CR number · Using the CR number to check if your SHA cover is active · Dependants, children and people without a national ID · If you want more than SHA covers
Reviewed 27 October 2026 · 5 questions · 4 sources
- SHA vs private medical insurance in Kenya: what each covers
Side by side · When a private plan is worth adding
Reviewed 23 September 2026 · 2 questions · 4 sources
- Health insurance in Kenya: SHA, private medical cover and employee health insurance
SHA: who pays what · Private medical insurance: what to compare · Who sells medical insurance in Kenya · Employee and group health insurance · How much is health insurance in Kenya per month?
Reviewed 28 October 2026 · 6 questions · 8 sources
Look inside
Two pages of the PDF exactly as you will get it: the contents page and the first page of chapter 1.
Who writes it
Tulinde is an independent guide run by Takat AI. It is not an insurer, a broker or an agent, and it does not rank or rate insurers. Every fact comes from a primary source listed in the guide. Read how we check facts and how Tulinde makes money.