Kenya court suspends mandatory Sh6.4m visitor health insurance
A Kenyan High Court has suspended a government mandate requiring foreign visitors to purchase travel health insurance worth Sh6.4 million. The court order remains in effect until September 2026 while legal challenges regarding the policy's implementation and administrative framework are heard.
Why it matters
The ruling impacts international tourism and travel logistics for Kenya, highlighting tensions between government policy-making and legal oversight regarding administrative mandates.
A High Court in Kenya has suspended implementation of government’s decision to introduce Sh6.4 million mandatory travel health insurance for foreign visitors.
Justice Francis Rayola Olel granted the interim orders after two Marsabit residents challenged Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale’s Gazette Notice establishing the requirement. The orders will remain in force pending hearing of the application on September 16, 2026.
The petition comes weeks after Vantage Point Ventures and the Consumers Federation of Kenya also challenged the notice and the programme’s implementation and insurer selection.
The contested notice, published on July 30, requires foreign visitors intending to stay in Kenya for less than 12 months to have travel health insurance with minimum cumulative benefits of US$50,000 (Sh6.4 million).
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