Over 138,000 police, prison officers transition to State-backed Usalama Cover
From right: Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Aden Duale, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja and Commissioner-General of Kenya Prisons Patrick Mwiti Arandu during the launch of Usalama Cover at Avenue Hospital in Nairobi on April 2, 2026.
Members of the National Police Service and Kenya Prisons Service have fully transitioned to a government-backed medical insurance scheme under the Social Health Authority (SHA), ending three years under a consortium of private providers.
The transition, effective April 1, brings about 138,283 officers and their dependants under the Usalama Cover, which falls under the Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund.
The officers had previously been under government cover for eight years before shifting to private insurance in 2023, when the then National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) lost the bid to insure them.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, speaking at the launch of the cover at Avenue Hospital in Nairobi, said the scheme had been designed with the specific risks and needs of the disciplined forces in mind.
"For far too long, our police and prison officers have suffered indignities at the hands of private commercial insurance providers. We have heard heart-breaking stories of officers injured in the line of duty — putting their lives on the line for our safety — only to be turned away at hospital receptions," said Duale.
"We have seen them subjected to endless red tape, arbitrary claim rejections, and the extortion of out-of-pocket co-payments by profit-driven schemes that prioritised their bottom line over the lives of our officers," he added.
Duale assured officers that the new cover would not require co-payments, whether out-of-pocket or through alternative private insurance.
Under the Usalama Cover, officers will access specialised treatment, air evacuation in emergencies, dental and optical care, advanced chronic disease management, overseas treatment, fertility treatment including In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), mental health services, and a last expense benefit for their next of kin should they die in the line of duty.
An Extra Gratia structure has also been put in place, providing a vetted pathway for officers facing catastrophic health costs that exceed their standard cover limits to receive compassionate financial support directly from SHA. Officers will additionally be entitled to a free annual check-up.
Health CS Aden Duale during the launch of Usalama Cover at Avenue Hospital in Nairobi on April 2, 2026.
The transition also significantly expands the number of health facilities available to officers — from 800 under the previous private cover to approximately 6,000 SHA-registered facilities countrywide.
Interior and National Administration CS Kipchumba Murkomen said the move to SHA was part of a wider reform agenda aimed at restoring morale and operational efficiency across the disciplined services.
"The implementation has been carefully structured to ensure continuity of care, including for those currently admitted in hospitals," said Murkomen.
He assured that any officer or dependant already receiving treatment at a facility not yet contracted by SHA would be assisted with a transfer. "No one will fall through the gap," he said.
The CS also issued a warning to those seeking to exploit the system. "Anyone attempting to steal public money meant for the healthcare of our officers will be arrested and subjected to the full wrath of the law. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) will work closely with SHA to fool-proof this scheme. All fraudulent claims will be investigated to their finality and anyone found culpable will be punished," he said.
Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja called on officers yet to register with SHA to do so urgently, and directed commanders and human resource leaders to treat sensitisation as an operational priority.
Bernice Sialaal, Accounting Officer at the National Police Service, said the quality of service had not changed, adding that hospital accessibility would in fact improve.
Commissioner General of Prisons Patrick Aranduh said approximately 34,000 prison officers would benefit from the Usalama Cover. He also appealed to the government to extend medical cover to inmates, so that they too could receive dignified healthcare.
The government confirmed that National Police Reservists would be on-boarded to SHA in the next financial year.
Avenue Hospital chairperson Dr Lawrence Ndombi, while welcoming the SHA rollout, urged the authority to ensure seamless cash flow to hospitals to allow facilities to operate without disruption.
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