The Ministry of Health came under fire on Thursday as Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah and fellow legislators condemned its role in the controversial arrest of Grace Njoki Mulei and the ongoing dysfunction of the Social Health Insurance (SHA) system. Mulei, detained for protesting persistent SHA technical failures, has become a symbol of public frustration with the troubled health platform.
Lawmakers demanded answers on who authorized her arrest and why the government prioritized punitive action over fixing systemic flaws. During a heated session with Ministry and SHA officials, Ichung’wah pressed the Health Permanent Secretary to clarify whether SHA, the Ministry, or the police initiated the arrest.
“Who filed the complaint leading to this woman’s arrest? Was it SHA? The Ministry? Or were the police acting on their own?” Ichung’wah questioned, adding that Mulei’s Ksh 50,000 bond only raised further concerns about the case’s legitimacy.
Beyond Mulei’s arrest, MPs blasted the Ministry for failing to address the public on SHA’s widespread technical failures, which have disrupted access to healthcare. Ichung’wah noted that Kenyatta National Hospital had acknowledged system breakdowns yet failed to inform the public.
“Errors happen in any system, but how you handle and communicate them is crucial. Why wasn’t this publicly addressed?” he challenged.
Lawmakers also raised concerns about SHA’s independence, criticizing its reliance on the Ministry despite being intended as a semi-autonomous body.
“When we established SHA, it wasn’t meant to be run by the Ministry. It must prove it can manage itself,” Ichung’wah asserted.
In response to the mounting pressure, the Ministry of Health has since withdrawn its case against Grace Mulei.
