The Social Health Authority (SHA) has closed all its regional and sub-county offices nationwide, relocating staff to county headquarters and the national office in Nairobi as part of a sweeping institutional reform.

The decision, which affects offices largely inherited from the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), is aimed at streamlining operations, cutting administrative costs, and strengthening the rollout of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Sources told Kenyans.co.ke that the move has left many staff members unsettled, with claims of inconvenience and uncertainty over their new postings. The authority has not directly addressed these concerns, but an earlier memo from CEO Mercy Mwangangi outlined the rationale behind the closures.

In the memo, Mwangangi said the restructuring was essential to ensuring SHA fulfills its core mandate effectively. “This structural change aims to improve efficiency, reduce administrative costs, centralise operations and other long-term benefits including digitisation of processes,” she wrote.

Under the new structure, Nairobi’s Upper Hill headquarters will serve as SHA’s central operational hub, making it the only office open in the capital. County-level SHA offices are now expected to handle service delivery and coordination with national systems.

Mwangangi stressed that the realignment of staff is part of broader strategic reforms aligned with the government’s UHC agenda. She added that centralisation would ultimately enhance sustainability and improve access to health services for all Kenyans.