The government has released Sh4.4 billion to settle pending bills owed to health facilities by the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) with verified claims of up to Sh 10 million.
NHIF left behind an estimated Sh30-Sh33 billion in unpaid bills owed to public, private, and faith-based health facilities across the country.
Under the payment plan, hospitals and facilities owed less than Sh10 million will be prioritised for full settlement once claims are verified.
The government says this category represents the majority of contracted facilities, and the move is intended to ease financial pressure and support continuity of healthcare services.
In a notice on Friday, the Social Health Authority (SHA) CEO Mercy Mwangangi confirmed disbursement of the funds.
Eligible healthcare facilities will be required to sign agreements that will confirm that their NHIF claims have been fully settled before they receive the payments.
SHA has deployed a team to all county offices to facilitate the sign-off exercise for the seamless payment of the facilities.
“Eligible healthcare facilities are requested to attend the exercise in their respective regions and complete the required documentation to facilitate payment,” the authority stated.
The sign-off process is scheduled between July 6 and July 24 and is expected to be conducted in eight regions.
According to SHA, the Western region will hold its sign-off exercise at the SHA Office in Kisumu from July 6 to 7, while the North Rift region will convene at the SHA Office in Eldoret on July 8 and 9.
The South Rift region will conduct its exercise at the SHA Office in Nakuru on July 10, followed by the Central region at the SHA Office in Nyeri on July 13 and 14.
Facilities in the Eastern region will report to the SHA Office in Embu on July 15, while those in Nairobi will attend the exercise at the Third Floor Training Room, SHA Headquarters, from July 16 to 17.
The Coast region is scheduled for July 20 to 21 at the SHA Office in Mombasa, while the North Eastern region will conclude the exercise at the SHA Office in Garissa from July 23 to 24.
Facilities owed more than Sh10 million will continue undergoing a verification process before structured payment arrangements are agreed upon, meaning some providers may wait longer before receiving full settlement.
The payments form part of broader health sector reforms aimed at improving access to care under the new health financing model. According to the state, 31.2 million Kenyans have so far registered under the Social Health Authority (SHA).
The government has also reported progress in strengthening primary healthcare services, including the establishment of 228 primary care networks, recruitment and training of more than 107,000 community health promoters, and deployment of medical interns.
Ms. Mwangangi said additional plans are in place to progressively clear the remaining NHIF pending bills as part of efforts to stabilise the health system and rebuild confidence among healthcare providers.
