Private and faith-based hospitals in Kenya may close their doors by December 2025 if billions owed by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) are not paid.
The Rural and Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA) issued the warning on Monday, September 8. Chairperson Brian Lishenga said hospitals are under huge financial strain. He revealed that NHIF owes Ksh33 billion in arrears, while shared liabilities stand at Ksh43 billion.
“If this money is not paid immediately, by December, either private hospitals will shut down, or the entire system will revert to 100 per cent cash payments,” Lishenga warned.
He noted that most rural and low-income communities rely on private and faith-based hospitals for essential care. If the facilities shut down, millions of Kenyans could be left without access to treatment.
“This will create a vicious cycle,” he said. “Patients will be forced to pay out of pocket, and contributions to NHIF will fall as people lose trust in the system.”
Lishenga stressed that the appeal is not for extra funding but for timely payment of debts. “Hospitals cannot function under these financial pressures,” he added.
The warning comes just months after Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale promised to settle most of the pending NHIF bills. In July, Duale said that 92 per cent of debts, ranging between Ksh1 million and Ksh10 million, would be paid. However, claims under legal dispute would only be cleared after verification.
With only a few months left to December, private hospitals are demanding urgent action. Failure to pay the debts could trigger a nationwide healthcare crisis.
