Kenya’s Social Health Authority (SHA) hotline has fielded more than a million calls in less than a year, a milestone Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale says shows the service is already central to how Kenyans seek care.
Speaking after a meeting with governors on September 2, 2025, Duale revealed that the Taifa Care Support Centre, reachable on the toll-free *147#, has become the first stop for questions on registration, claims and complaints since SHA went live in October 2024.
Run by the Digital Health Agency (DHA), the centre resolves queries in real time and feeds the lessons straight back to county facilities and national policy teams. Duale added that the ministry is now testing AI chatbots to sit alongside human agents, aiming to cut waiting times and keep the service running 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Visited the TaifaCare Support Centre (147 Hotline) and witnessed firsthand the transformative role it is playing in reshaping our healthcare system.
Powered by the Digital Health Agency (DHA), TaifaCare serves as a vital bridge connecting Kenyans, healthcare providers and the… pic.twitter.com/UX5uVeTXgC
— Hon. Aden Duale, EGH (@HonAdenDuale) September 2, 2025
How to enrol:
Unregistered Kenyans can sign up by dialling *147# or via the AfyaYangu portal.
Complaints or follow-ups can still be lodged on *147# at no charge.
The SHA model rests on three funds: the tax-funded Primary Healthcare Fund, the Emergency, Critical and Chronic Illnesses Fund, and the contributory Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
Workers with a payslip contribute 2.75 per cent of gross monthly income to SHIF. Informal workers pay the same rate as an annual lump sum.
The 2023 Social Health Insurance Act paved the way for the rollout, turning UHC , a key pledge in President William Ruto’s manifesto, into a legal obligation rather than a promise.
