The government has chosen six banks to handle employer remittances for the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF). This decision was made following extensive consultations with employers across the country.

Abdi Mohamed, the Chairperson of the Social Health Authority (SHA), announced that the selected banks are Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), Equity Bank, Co-operative Bank, Sidian Bank, ABSA, and Diamond Trust Bank.

“We spoke to employers who told us where they prefer to make payments from and ensured that the banks are first approved and licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya,” said Mohamed.

In August 2022, the president directed the closure of all unauthorized government paybill accounts and introduced a unified payment platform using paybill number 222222 to streamline government services.

Many Kenyans have become skeptics of why SHIF remittances use a different paybill number instead of the unified government paybill introduced by President William Ruto.

“We also have our own pay bill number for individuals who wish to pay via M-Pesa. Generate the eSlip number and use M-Pesa pay bill number 200222 to pay.”

“The government single pay bill and even eCitizen are still marred by a number of challenges which we did not want to derail us,” the chairperson clarified.

The Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) was created under the Social Health Insurance Act of 2023 to offer comprehensive health coverage to Kenyans, taking over from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

SHA approved hospitals for walk-ins, inpatient, cancer, dialysis treatment

In October, the government began deducting a minimum quota of 2.75% from the payslips of salaried Kenyans, covering roughly 12% of the population.

Previously, salaried employees contributed between Sh. 150 and Sh. 1,700 monthly to the NHIF, while self-employed individuals pay Sh. 500. Contributions were capped at Sh. 1,700 for those earning over Sh. 100,000.

Kenyans earning Sh. 20,000 under SHIF now contribute Sh. 550, while those with incomes of Sh. 50,000 and Sh. 100,000 pay Sh. 1,375 and Sh. 2,750, respectively.

Those earning Sh. 200,000 and above will be remitted Sh. 5,500 while those with a monthly income of more than Sh. 1 million to pay up to Sh. 27,500.