Before you start

Employment and payroll registration
KRA PIN
Private cover through your employer or purchased directly

Step-by-step

1
Confirm your statutory health registration
Contributions to the national scheme are deducted through payroll. Check with your employer which scheme you are registered under, as the framework changed recently.
Via employerWho: Your employer
2
Enrol in private medical cover
AAR, Jubilee, Britam and Madison are the common providers. This is what you will actually use, and it is a standard part of a professional package in Nairobi.
Via employerWho: You
3
Check evacuation and repatriation cover
Air evacuation membership — AMREF Flying Doctors is the well-known option — matters if you travel outside Nairobi, where medical facilities thin out quickly.
OnlineWho: You
4
Identify your hospital
Nairobi Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital and MP Shah are the leading private facilities. Confirm which your cover admits you to before you need one.
In personWho: You
5
Sort vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis advice
Nairobi's altitude means malaria risk in the city itself is low, but travel to the coast or lake regions changes that entirely. Get advice specific to where you'll actually go.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport and permit
KRA PIN
Private insurance card
Evacuation membership details
Vaccination certificates

Things most newcomers don’t know

Nairobi's altitude means low malaria risk in the city — but not outside it.

At 1,795 metres, the city itself has minimal transmission, which surprises people expecting daily prophylaxis. Travel to Mombasa, Kisumu or the lake regions changes the picture completely, so take advice per trip rather than per country.

Source: Kenyan health advisories, altitude-related transmission

Evacuation cover matters more than in most cities on this list.

Nairobi's private hospitals are genuinely good, but medical facilities deteriorate sharply outside the major cities. If your work or weekends take you upcountry, air evacuation membership is the difference between an incident and a crisis.

Source: Standard expatriate practice in Kenya

The national health scheme was restructured, so older guidance is out of date.

NHIF was replaced by a new social health insurance framework. Anything referring to NHIF as the current body is stale — confirm with your employer which scheme actually applies to your payroll.

Source: Kenyan health financing reform

Private cover is a normal part of a professional package here.

An offer without it is a real gap rather than an unusual ask. Check the annual limit and the inpatient-outpatient split, which vary a lot between employers.

Source: Nairobi employment market practice

Common mistakes to avoid

Relying on guidance that still describes NHIF as the operating scheme.
Skipping evacuation cover while travelling regularly outside Nairobi.
Assuming malaria prophylaxis is needed in the city, or that it isn't needed anywhere.
Not checking your private policy's annual limit and hospital network.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.