Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has launched incisive attack on President William Ruto’s administration, accusing it of failing to disburse KSh 40 million owed to a hospital under the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
This accusation comes amidst a growing concerns from healthcare providers and leaders regarding the financial viability and operational challenges of the recently launched Social Health Authority (SHA), which replaced the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
Senator Khalwale, speaking on Sunday, pointed a direct finger at the government, stating, “There’s a problem. I watch you (CS) on TV as you struggle to explain about SHA and SHIF. Minister, that noise is not going to end. In fact you are lucky that you are doing it on TV but on the ground people are really uncomfortable with the way the program is being rolled out. Because you are a doctor like myself, I want to appeal to you most humbly SHA is a good thing. But the problem with it is its funding…Go and table in the Cabinet, tell it that nowhere in the world has a country succeeded in rolling out universal health care through contributions of members only.”
He further proposed that 50% of the Ministry of Health’s allocations be channeled directly to fund SHA, emphasizing that relying solely on member contributions, such as KSh 300 or KSh 500, is unsustainable for universal healthcare.
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa, also highlighted inadequate funding as the primary cause of SHA’s inefficiencies. Barasa noted that despite over 15 million Kenyans being registered under the scheme, many struggle to access medical services due to financial crisis, with facilities reportedly turning patients away due to outstanding debts.
While President William Ruto announced in November 2024 that KSh 5 billion had been disbursed to settle historical debts and an additional KSh 3.7 billion would be released, healthcare providers argue that the payment process has been slow and insufficient.
The closure of the NHIF portal, which contained records of claims, has further complicated matters, leaving hospitals unable to verify or track long-pending dues. The government’s Social Health Authority transition committee acknowledges a debt but claims it is only half of what hospitals demand.
The implementation of SHA, rolled out in October 2024 to streamline comprehensive healthcare access, integrates three critical funds: the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), the Primary Healthcare Fund, and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illnesses Fund.
However, the current funding model and the lingering debt from NHIF threaten to derail the government’s ambitious goal of achieving universal health coverage.
