Wamuzi News Ke
Kenya’s Social Health Authority (SHA) has plunged into a staggering Kshs 32 billion deficit in just nine months, sparking a wave of criticism and accusations of financial mismanagement.
In a hard-hitting statement, Rupha has accused the Health Cabinet Secretary of launching attacks on the private health sector and the media in an attempt to deflect blame from what they describe as a “flawed SHA model.”
According to the statement, SHA collected only Kshs 56 billion between October and July—far less than the Kshs 65 billion raised by the now-defunct NHIF in the same period of 2021/22. This is despite the introduction of higher premiums under the new system.
The figures paint a grim picture: during the same period, SHA incurred claims worth Kshs 89 billion, leaving the health scheme in the red by Kshs 32 billion. Rupha claims that instead of fixing the underlying problems, officials have turned to scapegoating.
“Any facility that asks for payment is labeled a fraudster, a cartel, a beneficiary of NHIF ‘corruption’,” the statement reads, warning that the scheme is financially unsustainable and is surviving only through public relations spin.
The “Proxy Means Testing” system, meant to identify who should benefit, has reportedly failed, adding to the pressure on SHA’s finances.
With the deficit widening, the future of Kenya’s flagship health financing model now hangs in the balance, as calls grow for urgent reforms before the crisis spirals out of control.
