SHA hospitals

Find an SHA-contracted facility in three steps

1. Open SHA's list: on sha.go.ke, menu Services → Hospitals → Contracted Facilities (contracted facilities).
2. Pick your county: each county page lists every contracted facility with its registration number, name, address, beds, type, level, sub-county, regulator and category — government, private, faith-based or NGO (Nairobi example).
3. Check the level you need: SHA uses Levels 2 and 3 (and selected Level 4 facilities) for free primary care; the county tables go up to Level 6, the national referral hospitals (SHA FAQ).

SHA also published a SHIF Contracted Facilities 2024-2026 list (PDF, 22 October 2026): 92 pages, entries numbered up to 5,141, each with its facility ID, contract number, county, level (from 3A to 6B) and ownership (SHIF list). Search it for the hospital's name before an admission.

SHA says it keeps contracting facilities, so the lists change; when in doubt, ask the hospital before treatment or call SHA on 0800 720 601.

Is SHA working in private hospitals?

Yes, where the private hospital holds an SHA contract. SHA's county table splits contracted facilities by ownership. Two examples from it (31 October 2026):

Adding up the ownership columns of all 47 counties gives 5,862 government, 3,828 private, 519 faith-based and 19 NGO facilities (county table). The SHIF 2024-2026 list names, among others, Kenyatta National Hospital (Level 6A, government), The Nairobi Hospital and The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi (Level 6B, private) (SHIF list).

A private hospital that is not on the list is not paid by SHA: you pay it yourself, or through private cover. How private cover fits on top: SHA vs private medical insurance.

Your primary care facility

When you register, SHA uses your sub-county to map you to facilities near you for free primary care at Levels 2 and 3; for specialised care you can visit any facility (SHA FAQ). To see the facility you are mapped to, log in to Afya Yangu and open the Health Facility tab of your profile (SHA FAQ) — how to sign in: SHA portal login.

If the facility you want is not in your Primary Care Network, SHA's advice is to update your location to where that facility is (SHA FAQ).

At the hospital: what to bring and what to expect

• Your identification: national ID for adults; birth certificate or birth notification for a child.
• Your registered phone: adults' biometrics come from existing databases; if they fail, SHA sends a one-time code to the contributor's registered phone or email (SHA FAQ, biometrics FAQ).
• A referral for secondary or tertiary care: SHA's charter lists a valid referral from a primary facility and verification at the referral facility (service charter).
• Time for approval before some procedures: they need SHA pre-authorisation, which SHA gives within 72 hours (SHA FAQ).

In an emergency, SHA's charter gives the dispatch centre's toll-free number 922 (service charter). Check that your cover is active before a planned admission: how to check your SHA status. What SHA pays once you are admitted: the SHA benefits package.

If a facility turns you away

• Ask why, in writing if you can: not contracted, inactive status, service outside the package, or approval pending.
• Inactive status: SHIF hospital services need contributions that are up to date (Act, s.27(4)); clear arrears or penalties first — see how to pay SHA.
• Facility not contracted: find a contracted one in the same county on SHA's list.
• You think the refusal is wrong: complain to SHA — toll-free 0800 720 601, complaints@sha.go.ke (SHA FAQ). The charter promises resolution within 14 working days; a decision under the Act can be appealed to the Dispute Resolution Tribunal within one month (Social Health Insurance Act, s.43).

Sources

1. Social Health Authority — Contracted Facilities: summary by county, by ownership (GOK, private, faith-based, NGO) and by level, with a full list per county (seen 31 October 2026)
2. Social Health Authority — Contracted Facilities in Nairobi County (example of a county list: registration number, name, level, sub-county, regulator, category; seen 31 October 2026)
3. Social Health Authority — SHIF Contracted Facilities 2024-2026 (PDF, published 22 October 2026, 92 pages)
4. Social Health Authority — Onboarding Facilities: empanelment, Kenya Gazette publication and contracting (seen 31 October 2026)
5. Social Health Authority — FAQ: Can I choose my healthcare providers and facilities under SHA? (seen 31 October 2026)
6. Social Health Authority — FAQ: How can one check their preferred facility? (seen 31 October 2026)
7. Social Health Authority — FAQ: What if my preferred facility is not listed in the Primary Care Network (PCN)? (seen 28 October 2026)
8. Social Health Authority — FAQ: What if biometric data doesn't work during a visit? (seen 31 October 2026)
9. Social Health Authority — FAQ: When are biometrics being taken? Is biometric capture mandatory for every visit? (seen 31 October 2026)
10. Social Health Authority — FAQ: I am in the hospital for surgery and I am being asked to wait for SHA approval. Why? (seen 31 October 2026)
11. Social Health Authority — Citizens' Service Delivery Charter, English and Kiswahili, revised version 1 (PDF, published 29 October 2026)
12. Social Health Authority — FAQ: How can individuals file complaints or seek assistance under SHA? (seen 31 October 2026)
13. Social Health Insurance Act, No. 16 of 2023 — s.4 (Authority), s.5 (functions), s.20 (Primary Healthcare Fund), s.25–27 (Social Health Insurance Fund, registration, contributions), s.28 (Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund), s.31 (benefits; private cover allowed), s.33–34 (empanelment and contracting), s.43 (Dispute Resolution Tribunal) and s.54 (repeal of the NHIF Act) — Kenya Law (Web Archive copy)
14. Social Health Authority — FAQ: Can I register and receive services on the same day? (seen 28 October 2026)