High Court suspends Sh6.4 million mandatory health insurance for foreign visitors
The High Court in Marsabit has issued an interim order halting the enforcement of a mandatory Sh6.4 million health insurance requirement for foreign visitors to Kenya. The court will review the legality of the policy, which petitioners argue lacks proper administrative and legal grounding.
Why it matters
This legal challenge represents a significant hurdle for the Kenyan government's attempt to integrate mandatory insurance into its electronic travel authorization system.
The High Court in Marsabit has temporarily stopped the government from enforcing a mandatory travel health insurance requirement that could see foreign visitors entering Kenya required to have medical cover worth at least Sh6.4 million. Justice Francis Rayola Olel issued the interim orders after two Marsabit residents challenged a Gazette Notice by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale introducing the mandatory insurance scheme. The judge certified the case as urgent and suspended the operationalisation and enforcement of the notice pending the hearing of the application on September 16, 2026. The petitioners, businessman Edow Issack Mohammed from El Wak and activist Zhulekha Mohamed Edin, argue that the Ministry of Health acted beyond its legal mandate in introducing the requirement and linking its enforcement to Kenya’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) system.
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