EXPLAINED: How SHA Lipa Pole Pole Payment Plan Works

The Social Health Authority (SHA) SHA Lipa Pole Pole is a flexible payment model that allows Kenyans to pay their health insurance contributions gradually based on their income flow instead of paying the full amount upfront.

Through the programme, members can activate their healthcare cover after making an initial contribution, receive a top-up amount for the remaining period, and repay it slowly through daily, weekly, or monthly payments.

President William Ruto unveiled the initiative on June 1, 2025, during the 62nd Madaraka Day celebrations held at Raila Odinga Stadium in Homa Bay County.

The government introduced the model to ensure Kenyans maintain healthcare coverage even when they cannot raise the full contribution at once.

“The Government introduced Lipa SHA Pole Pole to ensure no Kenyan is denied healthcare due to insufficient premiums,” SHA stated.

How SHA Lipa Pole Pole Works

Under the SHA Lipa Pole Pole model, members do not need to pay their full annual SHA contribution at once. The process works as follows:

• A member pays contributions equivalent to four months.
• SHA provides a top-up amount covering the remaining eight months.
• The member activates their SHA cover immediately.
• The member repays the top-up gradually based on their ability.
• Members can repay daily, weekly, or monthly.
• The top-up amount is not a loan and does not attract interest.

Also Read: SHA Shares Conditions for Keeping Children Over 18 as Dependants [FULL DETAILS]

How to Enrol

Kenyans can enrol and begin contributing through their mobile phones by following these steps:

• Dial *147#.
• Select 1: Kenyan Citizen from the welcome menu.
• Enter your National ID number when prompted.
• Select 2: Make Payment.
• Choose 2: Lipa Pole Pole.
• Select a financier, including Hustler Fund.
• Choose a repayment plan that suits your income: Daily, Weekly, Monthly

After completing the process, members follow the instructions provided to activate their cover and manage repayments.

Managing SHA Contributions Through Means Testing

For households with non-fixed income, SHA uses a Means-Testing tool to calculate suitable contributions.

Members can access the tool through afyayangu.go.ke and complete these steps:

• Log in and open “My Profile.”
• Under “Income,” select “Self-employed.”
• Answer the questions under “Means Testing.”
• Provide information on: Household size, living conditions, education level abd income level

After reviewing the details, SHA calculates a contribution amount and recommends a monthly or annual payment plan that matches the household’s ability to contribute.

Also Read: SHA Issues Clarification on E-Contracting Platform Testing

How to Pay SHA Contributions

Members can pay their SHA contributions through the following channels:

• M-Pesa Paybill: Members should open Lipa na M-Pesa, select Paybill, and enter 200222 as the Paybill number. They should use their National ID number as the account number, enter the amount, and confirm the payment using their M-Pesa PIN.
• USSD: Members can dial *147#, enter their National ID number, select Make Payment, and follow the prompts to complete the transaction.
• Online Portal: Members can visit afyayangu.go.ke, log in, access the payment section, and follow the instructions to complete their SHA contribution.

Lipa SHA Pole Pole and Universal Health Coverage

The government continues to use Lipa SHA Pole Pole to support Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda by creating a payment system that reflects the different ways Kenyans earn income.

Additionally, the programme supports the government’s Taifa Care approach, which focuses on expanding healthcare access and improving fairness in health financing.

By June 2025, the Ministry reported that more than 1.8 million informal sector contributors had enrolled and made payments under the SHA system.

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Social Health Authority (SHA) Headquarters in Nairobi. PHOTO/SHA