The Ministry of Education wants all learners to register with the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) before schools resume next week.
Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said learners must register as dependents of their parents under the new scheme – which will replace the current National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) – before schools resume for the third term next week.
“Registration of Kenyans to the Social Health Insurance Fund commenced on July 1, 2024, as a key enabler towards the realisation of Universal Health Coverage,” the PS said.
“All school-going children are therefore required to register as dependents of their parents before school opening dates for third term 2024,” he added in a circular to regional and county directors of education dated August 16, 2024.
The new development comes as a major relief to thousands of learners who were left without health insurance after the state terminated the Sh4.5 billion EduAfya school insurance scheme, leaving more than 3.4 million learners without cover.
The Kenya Secondary School Heads Association urged the government to ensure the continuity of the scheme, which expired on December 31, 2023.
Under the scheme, all Kenyans over the age of 18 will be required to make mandatory contributions to the SHIF, with billions of shillings earmarked to fund universal health coverage (UHC).
Kenyan workers will pay 2.75 percent of their gross monthly salary into the SHIF from October 1, a move that will see contributions for top earners increase more than eightfold in an economy where the take-home pay of many salaried workers has shrunk due to high inflation.
Kenyans with no source of income will also be forced to pay at least Sh300 a month into the SHIF as the government seeks to create a large pool of funds to finance UHC.
Section 47 of the SHIF requires digitisation and processes to be carried out using appropriate, reliable, secure, interoperable, verifiable and responsive technology through an information system.
The processes and services include registration and identification of members, contributions to the fund, empanelment of facilities, execution of contracts, identification of members, notification and pre-authorisation, claims management and settlement of claims.
It further states that every Kenyan shall be uniquely identified for the purpose of health service delivery, and that the digitisation of processes and services shall comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 2019 and all other relevant laws.
