Non-Kenyan residents visiting Kenya for less than 12 months may soon be required to register their travel health insurance under the Social Health Authority (SHA), following a new directive by the government.
This follows a meeting held on Thursday, 8th May 2025, between the Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Dr. Ouma Oluga, and the Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services, Dr. Belio Kipsang. The discussions were held in line with President William Ruto’s directive aimed at promoting health coverage for all people within Kenya’s borders.
“Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Dr. Ouma Oluga, today paid a courtesy call on the Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services, Dr. Belio Kipsang, to deliberate on the implementation of the Mandatory Inbound Travel Health Insurance under the Social Health Authority,” read part of the statement from the Ministry of Health.
The meeting, held at Dr. Kipsang’s Nairobi office, also brought in Director General for Health Dr. Patrick Amoth. It focused on collaboration between the two state departments to enforce the requirement that non-citizens staying in Kenya for less than a year must have valid travel health insurance.
The move is part of a broader push to increase health coverage through SHA, which was launched in October 2024 to replace the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
Earlier, in November, then Principal Secretary for Medical Services Harry Kimtai directed the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) to compile a list of licensed insurance providers eligible to offer the required cover.
“The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to request you to urgently provide us with a list of licensed or approved inbound travel health insurance products or providers for the purposes of undertaking a restricted tendering process,” Kimtai wrote in a letter to IRA CEO Godfrey Kiptum.
He added: “Providers listed will then be issued with a request for proposal with the appropriate specifications.”
“In this regard, the Ministry of Health has commenced the process of establishing the necessary administrative framework for the implementation of the policy and legal requirements,” Kimtai stated.
If approved, the policy will apply to all short-term visitors to Kenya, requiring them to obtain health insurance before entry as part of the government’s commitment to achieve Universal Health Coverage.