Thousands locked out of SHA over ID, sim card mismatches
Thousands of Kenyans are being locked out of the Social Health Authority (SHA) services due to mismatches between their national ID numbers and mobile phone registrations, Health Ministry officials have revealed.
Dr Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary for Medical Services, said a growing number of citizens, particularly young and low-income individuals, are unable to get SHA services because their mobile phone SIM cards are registered under different ID numbers, often those of parents or relatives.
“We receive an average of 6,000 calls at the SHA call centre every day. Over 2,000 of those are from people whose ID and SIM card details do not match. The system automatically rejects their applications,” said Dr Oluga during a stakeholder forum at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital (CGTRH) in Mombasa.
He noted that while some affected individuals have made payments into the scheme, they are still unable to access services due to technical registration failures.
Despite Mombasa County leading in SHA registrations nationally, coverage remains uneven. A significant portion of the population remains unregistered due to a lack of national ID cards.
“We have entire households, especially in informal settlements and rural areas, where no one has a valid ID. Without it, they simply cannot enroll,” said Dr Oluga.
He called on local chiefs, assistant chiefs, and Community Health Promoters (CHPs) to identify and assist undocumented residents, particularly vulnerable populations like street children, internally displaced persons, and the elderly.
Community Health Promoter, Mr George Otieno raised concerns about the scheme’s fairness, pointing out that many low-income households are being charged the same premiums as wealthier families.
“We’ve documented cases where residents of informal settlements are asked to pay the same amount as those living in gated communities. This blanket approach is turning people away,” said Mr Otieno.
Currently, SHA’s premium structure lacks a tiered assessment system based on income, though government officials say one is under development. This gap has created widespread confusion and discontent in low-income communities.
Mr Otieno also highlighted technical issues in the SHA digital platform where registered dependents, mostly children, fail to appear in the system when families seek care.
“We’ve had parents turned away at hospitals because their children, though registered, aren’t reflected in the SHA database. It is a technical failure with real-life consequences,” he said.
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According to Dr Oluga, the SHA system is undergoing upgrades to address such discrepancies, but no clear timeline was provided. Teenage mothers, many without IDs or birth certificates, are among the most affected by SHA’s rigid documentation requirements.
Coast General Hospital handles between 300 and 600 deliveries daily, with teenage mothers accounting for nearly 20 per cent of all maternity cases.
“We see girls as young as 14 come in with no form of ID. We sometimes issue temporary cards or register them under their parents, but that only solves part of the problem,” said a maternity ward nurse who did not want to be mentioned.
Lack of birth certificates and IDs among teen mothers is another challenge, making it impossible for these mothers or their babies to access follow-up care or postnatal services.
“Some are even detained in hospital after delivery because they cannot pay the fees out of pocket,” the nurse added.
Staff at CGTRH painted a grim picture of strained resources and staff shortages, particularly in maternity and neonatal units. Newborns are sometimes forced to share beds and baby coats, heightening the risk of infection.
“We are seeing neonatal mortality rates of 13–20 percent. One-third of these are linked to premature births. We don’t have enough incubators, beds, or staff,” added the nurse.
Pre-eclampsia remains a leading cause of maternal deaths, with delays in diagnosis and limited access to emergency care worsening outcomes. Dr Oluga acknowledged the crisis and promised additional support but stopped short of announcing any concrete resource injection or staffing plan.
Community action
Dr Oluga urged local leaders and health workers to intensify outreach, especially among youth and marginalised groups, to improve registration and early intervention.
“We must identify these girls early, keep them in school, and ensure their babies are safe. But it will take a village, families, CHPs, and administrators must work together,” he said.
He stressed that accurate, up-to-date personal data is essential for SHA enrollment, and encouraged citizens to ensure their SIM cards are registered under their own names and ID numbers.
