Hospitals risk SHA lockout as current contracts expire Wednesday

NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 28- Healthcare providers across the country risk being locked out of the Social Health Authority (SHA) system from Thursday if they fail to complete the contracting process for the new 2026–2029 cycle.

In a notice issued on Monday, SHA Chief Executive Officer Dr Mercy Mwangangi said existing contracts with healthcare providers will expire on September 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

The authority warned that facilities that have not secured an executed contract for the new cycle will no longer be allowed to provide services to SHA beneficiaries from October 1.

Their access to the SHA provider portal will also be switched off, raising concerns over possible disruptions for patients who depend on the facilities for treatment.

“Providers without an executed contract for the 2026–2029 cycle will not be permitted to offer services to SHA beneficiaries after that date, and their access to the SHA provider portal will be switched off,” Mwangangi said in the notice.

The warning comes just days before the expiry of the current contracts, placing hospitals and other healthcare facilities under pressure to complete outstanding requirements.

SHA has urged providers that wish to continue serving its beneficiaries to apply for a new contract and complete the contracting process before October 1.

The authority said facilities that fail to secure new contracts should make arrangements to transfer patients already receiving treatment to contracted providers to ensure continuity of care.

The directive could particularly affect patients undergoing ongoing treatment, including those requiring regular reviews, procedures or other services covered by SHA, if their preferred facilities are not among those contracted under the new cycle.

SHA said the contracting exercise is part of the transition to the 2026–2029 provider contracting cycle, which was launched earlier this month through the authority’s new electronic contracting platform.

 The Ministry of Health said the new framework, known as HAKIKA, is intended to strengthen contracting, verification, payment and accountability arrangements between SHA and healthcare providers.

The new contracts cover services under the Primary Health Care Fund, Social Health Insurance Fund, Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund and the Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund. The contracting period runs from October 1, 2026, to June 30, 2029.

The electronic contracting portal allows facilities to submit applications, provide supporting documents, complete verification and execute contracts digitally.

The latest notice, however, puts the responsibility on individual providers to ensure they have completed the process before the deadline.

SHA asked providers with outstanding contracting requirements to act promptly to avoid interruptions to services for beneficiaries.