Kenya's Social Health Authority Closes All Regional Offices, Leaves Staff in Limbo
- President William Ruto's administration introduced the Social Health Authority (SHA) following the implementation of new health laws
- Sources revealed why SHA CEO, Mercy Mwangangi, shut down regional and sub-county offices across the country
- The affected employees, who are staring at an uncertain future, expressed their frustration over the new changes
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All Social Health Authority's (SHA) regional and sub-county offices, including seven in Nairobi, have been closed.
Source: Twitter
There were eight branches in Nairobi, but only the Upper Hill branch is currently open.
SHA inherited the offices from the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
Why are SHA employees facing an uncertain future?
The report indicated that managers have been redeployed and given new responsibilities in the head office.
However, some employees have been moved to county offices or the Nairobi headquarters, while others are still at home as a result of closures, according to KTN News.
"We don't have assigned positions, but certain employees report to county offices. For this reason, most people simply remain at home," an affected staff member said.
According to a different source, several employees are now forced to make extensive commutes because branches outside of the county headquarters have also been closed.
"A person who used to work in Naivasha is now compelled to make the daily trip to Nakuru. Regretfully, you travel and then do nothing but sit in the offices. According to formal agreements with their bosses, some workers are only called to report for duty when necessary.
"The changes are meant to frustrate staff and make them either resign or indirectly force them to move to public service,” another source claimed.
Source: Twitter
What did SHA say?
SHA chief executive officer (CEO) Mercy Mwangangi stated in a memo dated July 29, 2025, that the action was a part of measures to reduce expenses and align with its workforce establishment.
She directed managers to secure all the agency's assets for handover.
"This structural change aims to improve efficiency, reduce administrative costs, centralise operations and other long-term benefits, including digitisation of processes," Mwangangi explained.
What other changes did SHA make?
In the meantime, SHA continues to offer Kenyans in need of specialised care treatment abroad.
The Social Health Insurance Act of 2023, the Social Health Insurance Regulations of 2024, and the gazetted Benefits Tariffs anchor overseas treatment.
The law ensures the treatment of a patient at the cost of KSh 500,000 annually, but only for services that are unavailable locally.
"SHA is aligning with the law, has started contracting, and is implementing a new system to improve coordination among all stakeholders," Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale stated.
Why public servants could suffer
Elsewhere, Kenyan private hospitals said they would stop serving government officials unless they pay cash after the government withheld SHA payments for nine months.
The Kenya Healthcare Federation (KHF) informed SHA that private healthcare providers can no longer afford to treat public employees without payment from the government's health insurance programme.
Except for teachers and police officers, all civil servants will be impacted by the move unless the Ministry of Health and the SHA step in.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
