Photo: Wheaton95, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Health insurance in Kenya
SHA, private medical cover and employee health insurance
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SHA: who pays what
The Social Health Insurance (General) Regulations, 2024 set the contributions:
| Who | Contribution | When |
|---|---|---|
| Salaried workers | 2.75% of gross salary, minimum KES 300 a month | Deducted by the employer, paid by the 9th of each month |
| Self-employed and informal workers | 2.75% of household income, as assessed by the means-testing tool, minimum KES 300 a month | Paid yearly, as set by SHA's means test |
| Adults over 25 with no income of their own | KES 300 a month | — |
SHA confirms the rate on its premium rates page, with no upper limit, and late payment costs 2% a month — work out your amount with our SHA contribution calculator. You can register online, by USSD on *147#, or through SHA agents, Huduma Centres and SHA offices. Registration is open to all residents, including refugees and non-citizens.
Private medical insurance: what to compare
Private cover is sold by general insurers (some specialised in health, such as AAR, Jubilee Health or Equity Health) and by medical insurance providers registered with IRA. Compare:
- Inpatient limit per person and per family — and whether outpatient, maternity, dental and optical are included or optional.
- Waiting periods and how pre-existing and chronic conditions are handled.
- Hospital panel: where you can be treated without paying first.
- Co-payment and any annual renewal age limits.
- Whether the plan coordinates with your SHA cover.
Who sells medical insurance in Kenya
IRA's 2026 notice (full list) licenses 35 general insurers; 25 of them are authorised for the medical class (class 12), and three are licensed for medical business only: Bupa Global Insurance, Equity Health Insurance and Jubilee Health Insurance. It also licenses 32 medical insurance providers. The complete, alphabetical list is on licensed insurance companies in Kenya.
What some insurers publish themselves about their plans, with the date we saw it:
- Jubilee medical cover packages — J-Care plans from Jubilee Health's own brochure.
- APA insurance medical cover — APA's Jamii Plus and Afya Nafuu plans.
- Madison insurance medical cover — Madison's Betterlife Premier, Executive and Budget plans.
- Britam health insurance and Sanlam medical cover.
- M-TIBA insurance — a platform that connects you to an insurer's scheme, not an insurer.
- Health insurance companies in Kenya compared — the regulator's medical premium and claims ratio by insurer, not a ranking.
Employee and group health insurance
For an employer, three things are separate:
| What | Required? | Where to read more |
|---|---|---|
| SHA deduction for each employee | Yes — 2.75% of gross salary, remitted by the 9th of the month (Regulations 2024) | How to pay SHA and SHA penalties for employers |
| WIBA cover for work accidents and occupational disease | Yes — every employer must insure under the Work Injury Benefits Act, s.7; it includes medical costs of a work injury | WIBA insurance |
| Group medical cover for staff and families | Not set out in the SHA or WIBA rules above: it is an employer's choice, bought from a general insurer licensed for medical business | Ask several insurers for a group quote — get quotes |
A group policy is priced on the whole staff list (ages, family sizes, the limits chosen), so there is no public price per employee. Ask each insurer for the same benefit schedule — inpatient limit, outpatient, maternity, dental and optical, waiting periods for pre-existing conditions — before comparing premiums.
How much is health insurance in Kenya per month?
There is no official price list for private medical cover: each insurer sets its own premium, by age band, family size and the limits you choose, and IRA publishes none. SHA is the only cover with a fixed rule — 2.75% of income, minimum KES 300 a month (SHA contribution calculator). For private plans, the insurers' own brochures are the only real figures: see the Jubilee and APA pages above, and note that premiums on a health policy for you, your spouse or your child can earn insurance relief on your income tax.
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Frequently asked questions
Which insurance companies offer medical cover in Kenya?
25 of the 35 general insurers on IRA's 2026 list are authorised for the medical class (class 12); Bupa Global, Equity Health and Jubilee Health are licensed for medical business only. Our page on licensed insurance companies in Kenya lists them all, alphabetically.
Is employee health insurance compulsory in Kenya?
Employers must deduct and remit SHA (2.75% of gross salary) and insure staff under WIBA for work injuries. A private group medical scheme on top is the employer's choice.
How much is health insurance in Kenya per month?
SHA is 2.75% of income with a KES 300 minimum. Private medical cover has no official price: each insurer prices by age, family size and limits — compare written quotes and the insurers' own published brochures.
How much is SHA per month in Kenya?
2.75% of gross monthly income, with a minimum of KES 300 a month (Social Health Insurance (General) Regulations, 2024).
When did SHA replace NHIF?
The Ministry of Health launched the Social Health Authority on 1 October 2024.
How do I register for SHA?
Online on sha.go.ke, by dialling *147#, or through SHA agents, Huduma Centres and SHA offices.
Sources
- Social Health Insurance (General) Regulations, 2024 — Ministry of Health
- Social Health Authority — premium rates
- Social Health Authority — how to register
- Social Health Authority — Social Health Insurance Fund
- Ministry of Health — Kenya to launch the Social Health Authority on 1 October 2024
- IRA Kenya — registry of licensed entities (brokers, agents, medical insurance providers…)
- IRA Kenya — Licensed Entities 2026, full notice of 30 March 2026: insurers, reinsurers, brokers, medical insurance providers, bancassurance intermediaries, motor assessors and others (Web Archive copy of 15 May 2026)
- Work Injury Benefits Act, 2007, s.7 (compulsory insurance) — Ministry of Labour