As schools prepare to reopen in just four days, parents across Kenya face an urgent new directive: register their children under the newly established Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) before Monday, August 26.
The government had given Kenyans just 10 days to register their children under SHIF.
An internal memo, recently leaked and confirmed by Kenyans.co.ke, reveals that Belio Kipsang, the Principal Secretary for Basic Education, has mandated that all school-going children must be registered as dependents of their parents before the start of the new school term.
The memo, dated August 16, instructs regional and county education directors to ensure that parents comply with this directive.
"All school-going children are therefore required to register as dependents of their parents before school opening dates for the third term of 2024," Kipsang wrote.
The memo, referenced as MOE/HQS/3/13/3 and marked as urgent, directs that the information be promptly communicated to all schools and parents.
The Principal Secretary's move points to the government's commitment to implementing the Social Health Insurance Fund, which aims to provide free healthcare for all Kenyans from birth to age 18.
This new health coverage initiative was announced by President William Ruto on August 10, who outlined that from the next three months, all Kenyans will benefit from free healthcare through SHIF. This significant policy shift will extend medical cover previously limited to secondary school students under the EduAfya scheme to include primary school learners as well.
During his recent tour of development projects in Mathioya, Kiharu, and Gatanga constituencies in Murang'a County, President Ruto emphasised the expansion of this coverage. “We are changing the old formula, which provided medical insurance for secondary school students only. Now, the government will provide medical insurance to all school-going children up to the age of 18,” he stated.
The Social Health Insurance Act No. 16 of 2023, which came into effect on November 22, 2023, mandates that all Kenyans, including children, register with SHIF. This act aims to bolster the country’s Universal Health Coverage goals by ensuring that every individual has access to necessary healthcare services.
Registration for SHIF has been underway since July 1, 2024. The Ministry of Health, through the Social Health Authority, has developed an enhanced benefit package to incorporate EduAfya into SHIF.
This means that the previous coverage offered to secondary school students will now be available to all children, expanding the reach of the fund significantly.
Parents can complete the registration process through several channels: the official SHIF website, via SMS by dialling "147#", or through the Afyangu portal. Detailed instructions are provided in the registration manual available on these platforms.
