Social Health Authority (SHA), a Kenyan state corporation that manages the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), has been deducting contributions directly from M-Pesa wallets without requiring a user PIN.
This automated payment function, which was unknown to most Kenyans registered under SHA, undoubtedly led to heated discussions on online forums.
Safaricom, Kenya’s largest telco and owner of the mobile money platform M-Pesa, offered feedback to public queries. The company confirmed that signing up for SHA triggers M-Pesa Ratiba activation by default.
This is a standing order feature that allows M-Pesa users to settle recurring payments like rent and subscriptions. Once activated, payment transactions run on autopilot.
M-Pesa customers only need their PIN for the initial setup; after that, everything executes on schedule without further prompts. However, those registered for SHA can remove the automated payment feature.
One way to do so is during the initial SHA registration process. In response to a user query, Safaricom stated, “While opting into SHA, kindly decline the prompt to Lipa SHA Pole Pole.”
The other option for those who are already facing automated deductions is to manage their M-PESA Ratiba standing order by dialing *334# or through the Ratiba Mini App on the M-PESA App.
Via the USSD *334#, users should navigate to M-PESA Ratiba by selecting option 9, then head into Manage Standing Order, where they’ll find the final option to delete the SHA standing order.
READ: SHA Scandal: Ghost Hospitals Drain Billions From Kenya’s Health Fund
SHA Mandatory Monthly Contribution
Please keep in mind that SHA registration is mandatory for everyone living in Kenya. This is backed by Section 26(1) of the Social Health Insurance Act, which legally requires all residents to be registered.
Further, contributions are classified alongside NSSF and PAYE as statutory deductions, which must be remitted by the 9th of each month. This applies to all adults, even those unemployed.
The law states, “A person who has attained the age of twenty-five years and has no income of his or her own or is living with the contributor shall be treated as a household separate from the contributor and shall pay three hundred Kenya shillings (KES 300) per month.”
