Need SHA health cover but can't pay all at once? Here’s a step-by-step guide to Lipa Pole Pole

Are you struggling to pay for your SHA health insurance all at once without straining your pocket? The SHA Lipa Pole Pole service is here to help.

With a flexible payment option, you can now spread your premiums over two years, and getting started is simple.

Here's how to enroll:

Dial *147# on your phone and select the first option, Kenyan Citizen.

Enter your ID number, and your SHA cover status will be displayed. To make a payment, choose option 1, then select option 2, Lipa Pole Pole as your payment method.

Next, pick option 1, Hustler Fund as your preferred programme.

Before you proceed, ensure that you have cleared any outstanding SHA arrears, you are able to pay four months of SHA upfront and that you have no default on the Hustler Fund.

Once you meet these conditions, press 1 to continue.

You will then be prompted to choose how you want to pay the remaining amount through M-PESA Ratiba.

Based on your annual SHA premium, select a plan that works for you either daily, weekly or monthly. Make your first payment and decide whether to pay immediately or later.

Press 1 to pay now or 2 to schedule it then, enter your mobile money PIN to confirm. You will then receive an SMS from Taifa Care confirming your enrollment.

The plan runs for two years.

You pay the first four months upfront, and the rest over 20 months through your selected M-PESA schedule.

If you miss a payment, the system will try again automatically, and you can also top up manually.

Lipa SHA Pole Pole is a game-changer as it allows non-salaried Kenyans to pay their yearly SHA contributions in smaller, flexible instalments on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, depending on their earning frequency.

"No interest. No hidden charges. No pressure. Just manageable payments that fit into your daily life, ensuring you remain covered throughout the year," said SHA CEO Mercy Mwangangi.

"This flexible payment option will ensure the Fund can plan and deliver services while also making sure that the mama mboga in Migori or the mechanic in Mathare can afford to participate in the scheme"

The goal of UHC, she said, is about coverage, trust, equity, and dignity in healthcare.

"To achieve that, we need a Fund that works for the people and a people that understand why their contributions, however structured, matter," she said.

"The government is not blind to the daily realities of non-salaried Kenyans. It is precisely because of this understanding that Lipa SHA Pole Pole was born."

President William Ruto officially unveiled the initiative during the 62nd Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1, 2025.

It is important to note that this is neither a loan nor a credit facility but simply a structured way to fulfil your annual obligation flexibly.