How SHA Registration Works for University Students in Kenya After the NHIF Transition
By Muntasir • Published Sep 18, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Student Life
SHA replaced NHIF for all Kenyan university students from 1 October 2024. Register yourself for KES 500 a month or join as a dependant on a parent's SHA profile.
🏥 NHIF cards stopped working after 1 October 2024, SHA is the only cover now
💵 Self-registration falls under the self-employed category, means-tested from a KES 300/month minimum up to roughly KES 850+ depending on household income
📩 Register at sha.go.ke, or ask your university whether it registers students as a group
🎓 Students aged 18-25 still in school join as a dependant with a National ID and enrolment letter
⏱️ There is no separate discounted student rate under SHA
NHIF is gone, SHA is now the only cover
Kenya closed the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and moved every member to the Social Health Authority (SHA) under the Social Health Insurance Act. SHA took over fully from 1 October 2024, and NHIF cards stopped being accepted at hospitals and clinics from that date, according to payroll and compliance guidance on the transition . If you registered for NHIF before starting university, that membership no longer works. An active SHA registration is what gets you treated at public hospitals, most private facilities, and your campus health center for anything beyond a free walk-in consultation.
Ask your university before you register yourself
Some universities and colleges register their students for SHA as a group, the way several campuses used to handle NHIF. Check with the dean of students office, the campus health center, or the finance office before paying for anything. If your institution already covers you through a bulk registration, confirm your details are correct and collect your SHA number rather than registering again.
How to register on your own
If your university does not register students centrally, register yourself directly with SHA.
Go to sha.go.ke and start a new registration.
Enter your National ID, or your birth certificate details if you do not have an ID yet.
Choose the self-employed category if you are registering as an individual student rather than as a dependant.
Complete the SHA Means Testing Instrument via the Afya Yangu portal or *147# to get your exact monthly amount. Self-registered students pay under the self-employed category, which is means-tested at 2.75% of assessed household income with a KES 300/month minimum. Most people are assessed between KES 300 and 850. There is no separate student-specific rate.
Save your SHA number and download your virtual card once payment reflects.
Two ways to get covered
| Route | Cost | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Self-register (self-employed category) | KES 300/month minimum, means-tested up to ~KES 850+ depending on household income | National ID, active phone number, sha.go.ke account |
| Join as a dependant (age 18-25, in school) | No extra cost if the principal member already contributes | National ID, university enrolment letter, parent's SHA number |
The dependant route works well if a parent already contributes to SHA through formal employment or their own self-employed registration, since it avoids paying twice for the same household.
What SHA covers at campus level
SHA funds primary and outpatient care at accredited facilities, including university health centers that have signed up as SHA providers. For anything the campus clinic cannot handle, such as surgery, specialist care, or admission, SHA covers referral to a contracted hospital instead of a full cash bill. Ask your campus health center directly whether it is SHA-accredited and which referral hospital it uses, since accreditation and referral pathways differ by institution.
Keep your registration active
Contributions lapse if you miss a payment, and a lapsed registration means paying cash at the point of care until you catch up. Set a reminder for your monthly SHA payment the same way you budget for rent or data, and keep your payment reference in case a facility needs to confirm your status. If you move between counties for study or holidays, your SHA registration travels with you nationally, so there is no need to re-register in a new location.
Paying without a bank account
Most students pay their monthly SHA contribution through M-Pesa or another mobile money channel rather than a bank transfer, matching how most Kenyan government payments already work. Check the exact paybill or till number shown on the SHA portal at the time you pay, since payment channels get updated from time to time, and always confirm you received a payment confirmation message before assuming the contribution went through.
Common questions from first-time registrants
Do you need SHA if a parent already covers you? Only if you register as a dependant under that parent's profile. A separate student registration on your own National ID creates a second, unrelated membership that still needs its own means-tested monthly contribution, starting from a KES 300 minimum.
What if the portal rejects your National ID? Double-check the ID number for typos first, then try again later, since national systems occasionally have short outages. Visit a SHA service point in person if the problem continues.
Does SHA cover treatment away from your home county? Yes, cover is national, so a SHA-accredited facility near your campus works the same way as one near home.