Kenya Enforces Government Identification Rules for Refugee Healthcare Access
Kakuma, 27 October 2026
Kenya now requires official state documentation instead of standalone UN certificates for refugees to access public healthcare schemes, significantly impacting medical coverage and registration across major settlements.
Updated Identity Requirements for Health Cover
Kenya is enforcing stricter documentation rules for refugees seeking enrolment into its national health scheme, the Social Health Authority (SHA) [1]. Across major hubs including Kakuma, Kalobeyei, Dadaab, Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret, and Nairobi, refugees and asylum seekers can no longer use United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) certificates as standalone identity documents for primary registration [1]. To ensure continuous access to public healthcare clinics and designated referral facilities, applicants must present government-issued credentials aligned with Kenya Law Legal Notice 143 of 2023 [1].
Eligible State Documents Under Department of Refugee Services Protocols
Under the regulatory standards managed alongside the Department of Refugee Services (DRS), specific identity instruments are recognised on the Afya Yangu enrolment platform [1]. When signing up, displaced individuals must select ‘Refugee’ under the primary identity categories—which also include Kenyan Citizen, Foreign Resident, and Mandate Number—and submit a valid document number [1]. Approved paperwork includes the DRS Asylum Seeker Pass, Proof of Registration, Letter of Recognition, Refugee Identity Card, or a Conventional Travel Document [1]. Those holding an assigned Mandate Number can register directly under that designated category [1].
Enrolment Pathways and Family Coverage
Enrolment through official government channels remains entirely free of charge [1]. Applicants can sign up digitally via the official sha.go.ke website, through the Afya Yangu portal, or on mobile phones using the USSD string *147# [1]. Alternatively, community members can register in person at regional Huduma Centres, SHA branches, or National Registration Bureau offices [1]. Children aged 0 to 17 years do not require individual adult identity cards; parents or guardians can register them as dependants using a standard birth certificate or official birth notification [1].
Helpline Guidance and Broader Socioeconomic Pressures
For individuals navigating documentation delays or card waiting periods, official guidance is accessible through the SHA toll-free helpline on 0800 720 601, the waiting card SMS service on 20031, or the toll-free UNHCR Kenya helpline on 1517 [1]. The enforcement comes at a delicate time for Kenya’s displaced population of close to 900,000 refugees and asylum seekers [3]. Households are already adapting to the Shirika Plan launched to integrate camp settlements, alongside reductions in humanitarian food assistance and recent regulatory pressures on informal micro-enterprises [3]. Completing official SHA verification remains an essential step to prevent interruptions in basic healthcare access [1].