Mothers giving birth at public dispensaries and health centres no longer pay out of pocket, under changes to Social Health Authority (SHA) benefits announced in May 2026, according to The Standard.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale issued the changes through Legal Notice No. 78 of 2026, in consultation with the SHA Board, and they took effect immediately. The delivery services at Level 2 and Level 3 facilities are financed through the Primary Healthcare Fund. SHA reimburses facilities Sh10,000 for a normal delivery and Sh30,000 for a caesarean section, including essential newborn care.
The same announcement raised cancer cover. The annual cancer benefit rose from Sh550,000 to Sh800,000, and the chronic illness allocation under the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund rose from Sh150,000 to Sh400,000. The listed rates include Sh2,500 per oncology consultation, Sh5,500 per chemotherapy session and Sh3,600 per radiotherapy session for up to 30 sessions.
For sickle cell disease, reimbursement covers apheresis platelets at Sh20,000 and red cell exchange at Sh70,000, each up to three times per policy period.
The Standard said the changes follow President William Ruto's directive in the 2025 State of the Nation Address. The article did not describe how mothers or patients access the services.
Payment delays are a separate concern. In June, The Standard published a report headlined "SHA hasn't paid healthcare centres Sh5.5b since February, say workers". That figure is the workers' claim, and Kijiji News has not seen a response from SHA.
Sources: The Standard; The Standard