Health rights, national and county roles, SHA and levels of care.
Search the official Constitution →Kenyans have a constitutional right to the highest attainable standard of health. Health services are delivered by county governments and overseen nationally, and since October 2024 health financing runs through the new Social Health Authority (SHA), which replaced the NHIF.
Article 43Health is a shared function. County governments run most health facilities and deliver day-to-day services, while the national government sets health policy, regulates the sector and runs national referral hospitals.
Fourth ScheduleThe Social Health Authority (SHA) replaced the NHIF on 1 October 2024. It runs three funds — the Primary Healthcare Fund, the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund — that together aim to cover Kenyans from a village dispensary to specialised treatment.
Registration with SHA is mandatory for Kenyan residents and is done afresh — your NHIF number does not transfer. Employed people contribute 2.75% of gross pay; others pay based on a means test, with a monthly minimum.
Kenya’s health system is organised in levels, from community health units up to national referral hospitals. You are generally expected to start at the lowest appropriate level and be referred upward — except in emergencies.
Article 43