Kenya has taken a bold step in transforming its healthcare sector, officially launching a nationwide biometric identification system under the Social Health Authority (SHA), aimed at eliminating fraud, boosting efficiency, and improving access to medical services.
President William Ruto and Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale jointly announced the transition from the outdated SMS-based and OTP (One-Time Password) authorization system to a secure biometric verification platform, already operational in all Level 4, 5, and 6 hospitals. Lower-tier Level 2 and 3 facilities will follow soon.
Biometric Health System jointly launched by President Ruto and Health CS Aden Duale to End Hospital Scams.
“With immediate effect, SHA will no longer accept OTP-based authorization. All approvals must be completed using biometric health ID or the geo-tagged Practice 360 app,” CS Duale declared during the launch at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH).
President Ruto emphasized the urgency of ending healthcare fraud, saying, “Biometric registration will ensure no one steals from us again.” He further disclosed that some hospitals previously had more accountants than medics, solely to “manufacture fraud and fake claims.”
Since SHA replaced the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) in October 2024, over 25.1 million Kenyans have registered, and more than 10,000 public and private facilities have been contracted. SHA has already disbursed KSh52 billion more than double NHIF’s annual average. “Every claim will now be tied to a real patient and a real health event. This is how we restore trust in health financing,” SHA CEO Mercy Mwangangi noted.
The government also launched the Practice 360 app, which prevents unauthorized sharing of pre-authorization codes and enables healthcare workers to directly approve and manage claims. “Your fingerprint will verify your identity securely, eliminating fraud and misuse,” Duale added.
Social Health Authority(SHA)
Ruto warned county hospitals still charging for outpatient services despite a KSh13 billion allocation under SHA. “Such services are already fully paid for. It’s wrong to charge Kenyans again,” he said. An additional KSh8 billion has been allocated for emergency and critical care.
Governor Muthomi Njuki, chair of the Health Committee of the Council of Governors, defended SHA: “It’s working. Even the poorest now access care. Ignore the naysayers.”
To deepen inclusion, a nationwide registration drive is underway for the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), with salaried Kenyans contributing 2.75% of their gross income. Registration is available via the SHA website, *147# dial-in, or in-person biometric drives, capturing fingerprints and facial recognition data.
“We are done with fraud. We are building a healthcare system that serves everyone securely, transparently, and fairly.” President Ruto concluded.
