The Social Health Authority (SHA) in Kenya has announced a one-month moratorium on five essential Know Your Customer (KYC) documents for healthcare providers. This move aims to facilitate the contracting and onboarding of eligible healthcare providers under the 2026-2029 contracting cycle. The moratorium, effective immediately, allows providers who meet other mandatory requirements to receive conditional contracts as they obtain the outstanding documents.
The documents covered by the moratorium include the NSSF compliance certificate, NEMA licence, Fire Safety Compliance Certificate, NCPWD Compliance Certificate, and ODPC Data Processor and Data Controller certificate. SHA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mercy Mwangangi emphasized that the waiver only provides additional time to submit the documents and does not remove the legal obligation to obtain them. Healthcare providers are required to indicate whether each of the five documents is available and upload all documents currently in their possession.
Providers who meet all other mandatory contracting requirements but lack one or more of the five documents may receive a conditional contract valid until November 4, 2026. Those who have all the required documents and meet the other contracting requirements will be eligible for a three-year contract. SHA has maintained that other mandatory documents, including the SHA Compliance Certificate and KRA Tax Compliance Certificate, remain compulsory and are not covered by the moratorium.
The announcement comes a day after the Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors reached an agreement on the contracting of county public health facilities under the 2026-2029 SHA contracting cycle. The joint communiqué issued after a consultative meeting at Afya House on October 5 stated that the two levels of government had reached consensus on several issues that had emerged around the contracting process.
Under the agreed framework, SHA will accept certain documents held at county level for county health facilities. These include county-level NSSF compliance certificates where staff are employed and paid by the county, as well as the county's ODPC registration certificate where it lists the facilities covered. County KRA PIN and tax compliance certificates will also be accepted where applicable, alongside a county letter identifying the facilities covered.
Facilities with their own tax registration will be required to submit their individual documents. The agreement also provides for county facilities to retain their own contracts, with payments continuing to be made into the respective Facility Improvement Financing accounts. County Executive Committee Members for Health will coordinate the contracting process, while County Attorneys will review and clear the contracts before execution.
Existing contracts will remain valid until October 14, 2026, allowing services and claims to continue as facilities complete the new contracting process. SHA has also committed to holding contracting clinics in every county through October 14 to assist facilities with their applications. A Joint Technical Committee comprising SHA, the Council of Governors and county health departments will oversee implementation and resolve emerging issues.
Key points
- The moratorium does not waive the requirement to obtain the outstanding mandatory documents.
