Aasai

Members of the newly Kenya Moja political movement have called for the immediate and argent resignation of Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and the Chief Executive Officer of the Social Health Authority (SHA), Mercy Mwangangi, accusing them of overseeing what they called a “well-calculated scam.”

 Speaking during a press conference in Nairobi on Wednesday, the leaders alleged that public funds under the SHA were being misused, including payments to facilities that are no longer operational. “SHA is a well-calculated scam. There are facilities that were closed, and they continue to receive money from the SHA. For example, Sipili Maternity and Nursing Home, which was shut down following the TV revelations, has received five million shillings,” they said. 

The movement further alleged that the corruption was being facilitated through the former National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) system, which it now calls the SHAtrayal Trust. “They are really using the NHIF system. Enough. Enough. We want Aden Duale to resign immediately for conflict of interest, and the SHA CEO for colluding to rob Kenyans,” another member said.

 The leaders accused CS Duale of “talking tough” about corruption while he was embroiled in an ongoing scandal, insisting that accountability must be enforced at the highest levels of government. There has been public anger over ongoing fraud in the government’s health scheme, and pressure is mounting on the Ministry of Health over questions about how SHA has been paying claims to hospitals, and concerns over high bills for substandard hospitals and possible air-conditioned facilities. 

On Monday, the government removed a public website where anyone could check the monthly payments the authority sends to hospitals for claims, as well as the Kenya Health Facility Register (KMHFR), sparking criticism. Dr Mwangangi on Tuesday announced that SHA had suspended 45 health facilities for defrauding the health system, bringing the total to 85 after 40 were reported earlier this month. 

The suspensions came after Duale said claims worth Ksh.3 billion were being re-examined due to lack of documentation, while an additional Ksh.2.1 billion was under review for further investigation. The minister said his ministry had also rejected claims worth Ksh.10.6 billion, citing fraudulent practices such as record-keeping, falsification of medical records, conversion of outpatient cases into inpatients, and fictitious payments to non-existent patients.

"We want to tell the Head of State and his friend, CS Duale, that Kenyans have now uncovered a fraud that was designed to coerce the public. The National Assembly and the Senate Health Committees are already investigating this matter, and when Parliament returns from recess, we will press for the formation of a Commission of Inquiry to determine how much money has been looted," they said.