Maternity Hospitals in Kwale County: SHA Hospitals and What SHA Pays

Updated 18 October 2026

Kwale County has 189 health facilities contracted by the Social Health Authority (SHA), according to the SHA list of contracted facilities we checked on 17 October 2026. For a delivery, the main public options are Msambweni County Referral Hospital, Kwale Sub-County Referral Hospital, Kinango Sub-County Hospital, Samburu Sub-County Hospital and Lunga Lunga Sub-County Hospital. Private SHA hospitals include Diani Beach Hospital (the only Level 5 facility in the county on the list), Palm Beach Hospital, Kinondo Kwetu Hospital and Ginger Hospital. Under the 2025 SHA tariffs, SHA pays a facility KSh 10,000 for a normal delivery and KSh 30,000 for a caesarean section, each including essential newborn care.

SHA hospitals in Kwale where mothers can deliver

The table lists the general hospitals (Level 4 and 5) and nursing homes in Kwale on the SHA contracted list, by sub-county. We have left out Kwale District Eye Centre, which is listed as a Level 4 facility but is an eye hospital. Call the maternity ward before your due date to confirm that the services you may need, such as theatre for a caesarean or a newborn unit, are available.

The SHA list for Kwale has no stand-alone maternity homes or specialist obstetric (OBGYN) surgery centres, so most hospital births in the county happen at the facilities above.

Health centres closer to home

For antenatal clinics and normal deliveries, a comprehensive health centre near you may save a long journey. SHA lists 21 comprehensive health centres in Kwale. The public ones run by the county government are:

• Kinango: Matumbi, Mazeras Health Centre and Mnyenzeni Model Health Centre
• Kwale: Mkongani Model Health Centre, Ng’ombeni Health Centre, Shimba Hills Health Centre and Vigurungani Health Centre
• Lunga Lunga: Kikoneni Health Centre and Vanga Health Centre

Private comprehensive health centres on the list include Balance Life Hospital, Scharts Medical Centre, Third World Hospital and Tiwi Kwa Sammy Medical Center in Kwale sub-county, Hill Wood Health Care and St. Cornels Medical Centre in Kinango, Hiddocare Hospital and Majoreni Nursing Home in Lunga Lunga, and Bargebo Medical Centre and Nice View Medical Centre in Msambweni. Not every health centre runs a 24-hour labour ward, so ask at your first antenatal visit whether it conducts deliveries and where it refers mothers who need surgery.

What SHA pays for when you give birth

The Tariffs for Healthcare Services, 2025 (Legal Notice 56 of 2025) set the maternity package under SHA:

The package covers midwifery and nursing care, theatre and maternity ward charges including meals, newborn immunisation, medicines, laboratory tests, blood products, oxygen, postnatal family planning, and treatment of complications such as bleeding after birth, infections and newborn jaundice or sepsis. Antenatal and postnatal clinics are paid as outpatient care at Level 2 and 3 facilities and selected Level 4 hospitals contracted for primary healthcare. The Digital Health Agency’s claims rules say the delivery rate covers up to 48 hours after a normal birth and 72 hours after a caesarean; longer stays for complications are paid at the daily inpatient rate.

How to make sure SHA covers your delivery

1. Check you are registered and active. Dial *147# from the phone registered with SHA or log in through the SHA portal. New members can follow our guide on how to register for SHA.
2. Keep contributions up to date. Self-employed members can work out what they owe with our SHIF calculator.
3. Add your baby as a dependant soon after birth so the child’s own clinic visits are covered.
4. Carry your national ID and the phone registered with SHA when you go into labour.
5. Ask before you pay. If a facility asks for a top-up, ask what it is for and whether it falls outside the SHA package.

Nearby counties

If you live closer to Mombasa or Taita Taveta, you can also use SHA hospitals there. See our list of SHA accredited hospitals in Mombasa, our SHA maternity hospitals in Taita Taveta guide, or the SHA hospital finder for all 47 counties. Working mothers can estimate leave dates with our maternity leave calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the main public maternity hospital in Kwale?

Msambweni County Referral Hospital is the county referral hospital on the SHA list. Kwale, Kinango, Samburu and Lunga Lunga sub-county hospitals are the other public Level 4 options.

Is Diani Beach Hospital on SHA?

Yes. Diani Beach Hospital is on the SHA contracted list as a private Level 5 hospital in Msambweni sub-county.

How much does SHA pay for a caesarean section?

KSh 30,000, including essential newborn care, under the 2025 tariffs.

Is a normal delivery free under SHA?

SHA pays the facility KSh 10,000 for a normal delivery with newborn care. Confirm with the hospital whether any charge falls outside the package.

How do I check if my SHA cover is active?

Dial *147# from your registered phone or call the SHA toll-free line 0800 720 601.