The government has introduced a new system for the payment of contributions to the Social Health Authority (SHA), announcing that these funds will no longer be routed through the consolidated 222222 pay bill number. Instead, the contributions will be directed into a dedicated account.

Greald Bitok, the Director of Public Communications at State House in Nairobi, clarified this change on Wednesday, November 27. He explained that the move was part of the government's effort to strengthen the healthcare sector, which plays a crucial role in the country's wellbeing.

The decision to adopt a separate account for SHA payments comes after challenges faced under the now-defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), which had led to delays and funding shortfalls that threatened healthcare delivery.

Bitok emphasized that the new system would address these issues by ensuring that funds are disbursed promptly to healthcare facilities. “By collecting members' contributions directly into the SHA account, we ensure that funds are readily available to pay service providers without being delayed by the long processes involved in the national consolidated fund allocations,” he explained.

He further highlighted the urgency of the SHA’s financial requirements, noting that unlike other government agencies, the SHA faces monthly obligations that must be met promptly to ensure uninterrupted service delivery.

The government’s new health insurance scheme, according to Bitok, aims to simplify access to healthcare for all Kenyans, while also ensuring that financial commitments are fulfilled on time.

The announcement came in response to an online inquiry about why a separate account was created for SHA contributions, particularly in light of recent developments where a newly acquired bank had been added to the list of institutions authorized to receive SHA payments.

In a related update, Bitok revealed that as of Tuesday, November 26, the government had already disbursed Ksh3.7 billion to various healthcare facilities. Of this amount, Ksh1.25 billion was allocated to clear outstanding NHIF claims, Ksh1.1 billion went to the Linda Mama program, and Ksh1.35 billion was directed towards SHA capitation payments.

Bitok reassured the public that all claims under SHA for October 2024 would be settled by the coming Monday, and efforts to clear the remaining claims owed to service providers by the defunct NHIF were ongoing.