Ministry of Education Directs Parents to Register Children Under SHIF Before School Reopens: How to Register.
As schools in Kenya prepare to reopen in just four days, parents are now facing an urgent directive to register their children under the newly established Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) before Monday, August 26.
The Kenyan government had given parents only 10 days to comply with the new SHIF registration requirement for their children.
According to an internal memo, Belio Kipsang, the Principal Secretary for Basic Education, mandated that all school-going children be registered as dependents of their parents before the new school term begins.
The memo, dated August 16, instructs regional and county education directors to ensure parents adhere to this directive. The directive states that all school-going children must be registered as dependents of their parents before the start of the third term of 2024.
The memo, marked as urgent and referenced as MOE/HQS/3/13/3, also calls for immediate communication of this requirement to all schools and parents.
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This move underscores the government’s commitment to implementing SHIF, which aims to provide free healthcare for all Kenyans from birth to age 18.
Expansion of Health Coverage to All Students
President William Ruto announced this new health coverage initiative on August 10, outlining that within the next three months, all Kenyans will benefit from free healthcare through SHIF.
This significant policy shift will extend the medical cover, previously limited to secondary school students under the EduAfya scheme, to include primary school learners as well.
During his tour of development projects in Mathioya, Kiharu, and Gatanga constituencies in Murang’a County, President Ruto emphasized that the expansion of SHIF would change the existing system, which only provided medical insurance for secondary school students. The new coverage will now include all school-going children up to the age of 18.
The Social Health Insurance Act No. 16 of 2023, which came into effect on November 22, 2023, mandates that all Kenyans, including children, must register with SHIF.
This act is a key component of Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage goals, ensuring that every individual has access to necessary healthcare services.
Registration for SHIF began on July 1, 2024. The Ministry of Health, through the Social Health Authority, has developed an enhanced benefit package that integrates the EduAfya scheme into SHIF.
This integration means that the medical coverage previously available only to secondary school students will now be extended to all children, significantly expanding the reach of the fund.
Registration Process
Parents can register their children through several channels:
- Official SHIF website
- SMS by dialing “147#”
- Afyangu portal
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Detailed instructions are provided in the registration manual available on these platforms, ensuring that parents can easily complete the registration process.
Ministry of Education Directs Parents to Register Children Under SHIF Before School Reopens: How to Register
