SHA announces nationwide digital health system failure

The Social Health Authority (SHA) has announced a major nationwide disruption to its digital health platform following a critical system failure, halting pre-authorisation services and affecting healthcare delivery across Kenya.

Healthcare services face widespread disruption after the SHA reported a significant outage in its digital systems. The failure, which began on 1 March 2026, has knocked out key operations managed by the Digital Health Agency.

In a public notice issued on 2 March 2026, SHA informed contracted healthcare providers of the service interruption. The authority stated it received reports from the Digital Health Agency of a major incident causing extensive system unavailability.

“Following a critical system failure on 1st March 2026, the SHA digital platform has experienced a downtime. This outage has interrupted essential healthcare service delivery across contracted healthcare facilities, specifically affecting pre-authorization processes,” the notice explained.

Pre-authorisation remains a cornerstone for verifying patient eligibility, approving admissions, referrals and specialised treatments under the national scheme. Without it, many facilities experience delays in processing claims and providing timely care.

SHA acknowledged the serious impact on daily operations and patient access. “We understand the critical nature of these services for your daily operations and patient care, and we sincerely apologize for the significant inconvenience and disruption this is causing,” the statement read.

Technical teams from SHA and the Digital Health Agency now work urgently to identify the root cause and restore full functionality. “Our technical teams, in close collaboration with the Digital Health Agency, are fully mobilized and working with the highest urgency to identify the root cause and restore full functionality as quickly as possible,” the notice added.

The authority pledged regular updates to healthcare providers until reliable service returns. “We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding during this challenging period. We are committed to resolving this issue urgently. Regular updates will be shared with you until full, reliable service restoration is achieved,” it stated.

This outage arrives amid Kenya’s push for universal health coverage through SHA. Many facilities resort to manual processes where possible, but bottlenecks persist, leaving patients and providers awaiting resolution.