The Social Health Authority (SHA) has moved to shut down all of its regional and sub-county offices across the country.
The closures, the authority says, are part of a major institutional reform aimed at streamlining operations and reducing administrative costs.
According to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to Kenyans.co.ke, all staff have been relocated to SHA offices located in various county headquarters.
The move is a key step in the authority’s mission to make Universal Health Coverage (UHC) more efficient and sustainable for all Kenyans.
The affected offices were largely inherited from the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and this has left hundreds of staff members in a state of limbo.
The Social Health Authority has not commented on the staff claims of inconvenience, but an earlier memo from CEO Mercy Mwangangi provided the rationale for the closure of some offices.
She revealed that the consolidation of services was a key step in the authority’s structural realignment.
The reorganisation, according to the memo, was essential to ensuring the authority’s core mandate is fulfilled effectively.
The national headquarters in Nairobi's Upper Hill area now serves as the central operational hub for the entire country. In Nairobi, it is the only SHA office that remains operational.
Mwangangi's memo had also detailed the long-term goals of the restructuring.
"This structural change aims to improve efficiency, reduce administrative costs, centralise operations and other long-term benefits including digitisation of processes," the document read.
She underscored that the realignment of staff was a key part of the strategic reforms. She also clarified that the changes are part of a larger plan to align with the government's UHC agenda.
