Police and prison officers across the country will start receiving medical cover under the Social Health Authority (SHA) beginning April 1.
In a notice issued on March 30, SHA said it will now handle the health cover for those serving under the National Police Service and the Kenya Prisons Service, including their dependants.
“The Social Health Authority informs all officers… that SHA will manage their medical cover effective 12:00am on April 1, 2026,” the notice read.
The current medical cover will run until the end of March, with the new one taking over immediately after midnight.
SHA says the change has been planned to avoid any disruption. Officers or their family members who are already in hospital will continue receiving treatment without being affected.
Where someone is admitted in a hospital that is not under SHA, arrangements will be made to transfer them so they can continue with treatment.
The new plan follows government efforts to expand access to healthcare under the push for universal health coverage.
At the same time, officers have been advised to update details of their dependants to make it easier to access services.
SHA says it has also set up support teams in different counties and a hotline to help answer any questions during the transition.
Thousands of police officers and prison staff across the country are expected to benefit from the new medical cover once it takes effect.
