Wamuzi News Ke
A serious showdown has erupted between Dr. Simon Kigondu, President of the Kenya Medical Association (KMA), and Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, over allegations of financial mismanagement, access limitations, and rampant fraud within the Social Health Authority (SHA).
The high-voltage war of words threatens to destabilize recent health reforms just as stakeholder tolerances run thin.Speaking on a national radio station on Monday, September 15, Dr. Kigondu accused SHA of being dysfunctional and financially reckless. He singled out the SHA Practice360 app, calling it “ridiculous” for limiting medical service access.
Even more damning: Kigondu claimed SHA has amassed more debt in the past ten months than the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) accumulated over six years. Not holding back, CS Aden Duale immediately hit back, insisting that the Practice360 system is an essential breakthrough—and accusing Kigondu of defending facilities fanned out across allegations of fraud.
Duale claims some health providers associated with KMA have had their operations suspended by SHA’s digital system for serious irregularities. —Key Points of the DisputePractice360 app under scrutiny: According to Kigondu, the app is impeding access to services.
Duale counters that it is precisely what has exposed fraudulent pre-authorizations and fake facility operations. Amounts of debt: Kigondu claims massive unmanageable debt under SHA in less than one year; Duale defends SHA’s spending, saying much of what is flagged as debt stems from bad claims, non-existent facilities, or fraudulent providers.
Ownership and conflict of interest accusations: Duale accuses Kigondu of owning or having interests in some of the healthcare facilities that were suspended or flagged for wrongdoing. Kigondu has not publicly responded to the ownership claim.
This confrontation between lead medical professionals and the health ministry strikes at the heart of Kenya’s public health insurance reform—SHA—which is supposed to improve quality, access, accountability, and reduce out-of-pocket expenditure.
If trust between providers and regulators collapses, the entire scheme risks implosion.Hospitals and clinics increasingly rely on SHA reimbursements. Delays, rejected claims, or suspensions disrupt service delivery—forcing patients to pay privately or go untreated.
For many providers, uncertainty over what counts as “fraud” vs “legitimate claim” creates crippling operational risk.The Public is watching too: for millions of Kenyans relying on SHA, this isn’t abstract policy. It’s whether they can access medical treatment when sick, with dignity and without fear of being turned away.
