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How much is SHA per month in Kenya? (2026)

2.75% of gross monthly income, KES 300 floor, no upper cap. Worked examples, Tier 1 vs Tier 2, and every follow-up question answered.

AO
by Reviewed by Michael Mwangi 9 min read Updated 12 September 2026Verified 12 Sept 2026

The one rule that decides everything

The Social Health Authority publishes a single contribution rule that applies to every Kenyan resident. It has three parts, and every worked example on this page falls out of them.

  1. Rate: 2.75% of gross monthly income.
  2. Floor: KES 300 per month, regardless of income.
  3. Cap: None. There is no ceiling.

Source: sha.go.ke/premium-rates, accessed 26 August 2026 [Source 1]. The rate and floor are set under the Social Health Insurance Act 2023, which replaced NHIF on 1 October 2024 [Source 2].

Worked examples across salary bands

The maths is one multiplication. Take gross monthly income, multiply by 0.0275, and floor the result at 300.

Gross monthly income2.75% of grossActual SHA payable
KES 10,000KES 275KES 300 (floor applies)
KES 15,000KES 412.50KES 413
KES 30,000KES 825KES 825
KES 50,000KES 1,375KES 1,375
KES 80,000KES 2,200KES 2,200
KES 120,000KES 3,300KES 3,300
KES 200,000KES 5,500KES 5,500
KES 500,000KES 13,750KES 13,750
KES 1,000,000KES 27,500KES 27,500

The break-even point where the floor stops applying is KES 10,909 (because 2.75% of 10,909 rounds to 300). Below that, you pay KES 300. Above that, you pay the exact percentage.

To model any other salary or the effect on your PAYE, use the SHA contribution calculator. It handles both Tier 1 salaried and Tier 2 estimator modes.

Tier 1 vs Tier 2, briefly

The 2.75% rate is the same for both tiers. What differs is how SHA figures out your income and who moves the money.

  • Tier 1, salaried. Your employer applies 2.75% to gross salary, deducts it, and remits to SHA by the 9th of the following month via employers.sha.go.ke. You see it on your payslip. No means test needed.
  • Tier 2, non-salaried. Boda riders, mama mboga, freelancers, hustlers, the unemployed. SHA runs a Means Testing Instrument on your household to estimate income, then applies 2.75% to that. If the assessment lands below KES 300/month you pay the floor. See our means testing explainer for what the instrument evaluates, and SHA for the informal sector for practical guidance if your income varies month to month.

What "gross monthly income" means

For Tier 1 employees, gross monthly income is total cash remuneration before any statutory deductions: basic salary plus taxable cash allowances (housing, transport, commission, overtime, bonuses paid that month). It does not include employer-side contributions like NSSF employer share or the employer's pension top-up, because those are not paid to you.

For Tier 2, gross monthly income is the figure the Means Testing Instrument arrives at based on your household. SHA does not publish the scoring algorithm, so no online calculator can predict your exact Tier 2 premium. See the means testing guide.

Is SHA taken before or after PAYE?

Before PAYE. This is one of the most misunderstood parts of the new system.

Under the Tax Laws (Amendment) Act 2024 (effective 27 December 2024), SHIF is an allowable deduction against taxable income [Source 3]. So on a KES 80,000 gross salary, the sequence is:

  1. Gross: KES 80,000
  2. Less SHIF (2.75%): KES 2,200
  3. Less NSSF Tier I + II, Housing Levy 1.5%, any registered pension
  4. PAYE is then computed on the remainder

This is a real change from NHIF, which used to come off net pay after PAYE. A lot of online content still gets this backwards. See the dedicated explainer: is SHA deducted before or after tax in Kenya?

How to pay

  • M-PESA Paybill: 200222
  • Account: your National ID (digits only, no spaces)
  • USSD: *147#
  • Helpline: 0800 720 601 (toll-free)
  • Member portal: afyayangu.go.ke

If you have paid and the portal is not updating, see SHA payment not reflecting: what to do. Full paybill background lives at /paybill/sha.

If you cannot afford it in one payment

SHA runs Lipa SHA Pole Pole, an instalment plan for non-salaried Kenyans. You pay the first four months upfront, then spread the remaining twenty months across daily, weekly, or monthly instalments via M-PESA Ratiba, USSD *147#, or *254# (Hustler Fund route). No interest, no extra charges, and full annual cover starts on enrolment [Source 4]. Eligibility rules and setup live at sha.go.ke/lipa-pole-pole.

Questions people ask next

  • Is there a maximum? No. NHIF used to cap at KES 1,700. SHA does not. See the comparison: SHA vs NHIF, what changed.
  • What if I am unemployed? You still register and pay, typically at the KES 300 floor. See SHA for the unemployed.
  • What do employers have to do? Deduct 2.75%, remit by the 9th via employers.sha.go.ke, or face a 2% late-payment penalty under section 27(6) of the Social Health Insurance Act 2023. See SHA for employers.
  • Who does one contribution cover? The contributor plus dependants as defined by SHA. See SHA household coverage.

Sources

  1. SHA premium rates: sha.go.ke/premium-rates, accessed 26 August 2026.
  2. Social Health Insurance Act 2023, in force from 1 October 2024. Rate and floor set at 2.75% and KES 300 respectively.
  3. Tax Laws (Amendment) Act 2024, effective 27 December 2024. SHIF is an allowable deduction against taxable income, so it comes off gross before PAYE is computed.
  4. Lipa SHA Pole Pole: sha.go.ke/lipa-pole-pole, accessed 26 August 2026.
  5. SHA member portal afyayangu.go.ke, eligibility check eligibility.sha.go.ke, employer portal employers.sha.go.ke.
  6. SHA toll-free helpline 0800 720 601, per sha.go.ke contact page.