SHA Rolls Out Cover For Children Between Ages 7 to 17

The Kenyan government has officially launched a nationwide biometric registration exercise specifically for children and dependents aged between 7 and 17 years under the Social Health Authority (SHA) system. This initiative, which began on June 10, 2026, is part of a broader effort to strengthen health records, improve service delivery, and curb medical billing fraud.

Key highlights of the rollout

• The digital system aims to create a unique and secure link between a child and their medical records. By using biometric data, the government intends to eliminate duplicate registrations, reduce patient misidentification and ensure that medical histories including immunisation logs and treatment records are instantly accessible at any SHA affiliated facility.
• Approximately 8,067 biometric scanners have been deployed across public health facilities nationwide to support the registration process.
• Children who do not have national identity cards can be registered directly at the point of care. In instances where fingerprint verification is not successful, the system provides alternative verification methods, such as One-Time Passwords (OTP) linked to the caregiver’s mobile number, to ensure no child is left behind.
• Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale emphasised the government’s commitment to efficiency, noting that public hospitals contracted under the SHA face penalties, including potential claim deductions or loss of reimbursement, if they fail to dispense drugs to patients or provide services as required.

Why this matters

This rollout is a key milestone in Kenya’s move toward a fully integrated digital health identification system. By binding patient identity to the Digital Health Agency’s central cloud, the government aims to:

• Reduce unauthorised co-payments and prevent fraudulent claims.

• Streamline service delivery, reducing waiting times and administrative burdens for health workers and patients alike.

• It complements the broader SHA infrastructure, which also includes specialised coverage schemes, such as those recently introduced for teenage mothers.
• For parents and guardians, this initiative underscores the importance of keeping dependent details updated on the SHA portal, including birth certificates, to ensure seamless access to healthcare services across public, private, and faith-based facilities.
  

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