The Social Health Authority (SHA) has dismissed claims that it disbursed Sh20 million to a non-existent medical facility in Homa Bay County.
Concerns arose after reports circulated that Nyandiwa Health Centre in West Kamagak Ward was still receiving payments for medical services despite allegedly being non-operational for years. Images of a deserted building further fueled suspicions of misallocated public funds.
SHA leadership has, however, clarified that the payments in question were legitimate and subjected to strict verification. According to the Authority, the abandoned structure captured in photos was an incomplete project from a previous county administration and not the beneficiary of the disbursements.
The Authority explained that Nyandiwa Dispensary, which dates back to the 1970s, has since been upgraded into a Level 4 Hospital. This facility, despite retaining its original account name “Nyandiwa Dispensary,” is the one currently receiving SHA payments. The use of the old account name during the transition was described as a standard administrative practice in the health sector.
Records show that in August, the hospital received Sh19,998,720 under the SHA disbursement program. Additional allocations include Sh751,504 through the Primary Health Care (PHC) scheme and Sh82,080,706 from the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
Despite these clarifications, questions remain. An independent check of SHA’s public portal revealed that beyond the August allocation of nearly Sh20 million, an additional Sh695,520 was transferred to the same facility within the same month. Furthermore, a separate verification on the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) portal showed that Nyandiwa Dispensary is not listed, raising doubts over its current legal registration status.
This controversy highlights the ongoing challenges in Kenya’s healthcare financing system, particularly transparency in the disbursement of funds to public facilities. While the Authority insists that Nyandiwa Level 4 Hospital is fully operational and serving the community, the discrepancies flagged have put pressure on the institution to provide more detailed documentation and public reassurances.
The incident underscores the need for better coordination between SHA, county governments, and regulatory bodies to ensure that funding records match real, functioning facilities. As public concern grows, the Authority faces increasing calls for audits to prevent misuse of funds and to restore confidence in the health financing framework.
