Leaders of the Kenya Moja political movement have called for the immediate resignation of Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and Social Health Authority (SHA) Chief Executive Officer Mercy Mwangangi, accusing them of presiding over a “well-calculated scandal” in the management of public health funds.
Speaking at a press briefing in Nairobi on Wednesday, the leaders alleged widespread misuse of funds under SHA, including continued payments to health facilities that are no longer operational. They cited the example of Sipili Maternity and Nursing Home, which was shut down following a TV exposé but allegedly received Ksh.5 million from SHA.
“SHA is a well-calculated scandal. There are facilities that were closed, and they continue receiving money from SHA,” one of the leaders stated, accusing both Duale and Mwangangi of betraying public trust.
The leaders further claimed that the fraud is being facilitated through the former National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) system, now restructured under SHA. They accused CS Duale of hypocrisy, noting that he has spoken strongly against corruption while being “conflicted” in the ongoing scandal.
Public anger has been rising over persistent fraud in the government’s healthcare scheme, with concerns about inflated claims, ghost facilities, and suspiciously high bills charged by small hospitals. Tensions escalated on Monday when the government pulled down the public SHA portal that displayed monthly hospital payments, as well as the Kenya Master Health Facility Registry, raising questions on transparency.
In response to mounting criticism, SHA CEO Dr. Mwangangi announced on Tuesday the suspension of 45 health facilities for defrauding the system, adding to 40 previously flagged earlier this month. This brings the total to 85 facilities under suspension.
CS Duale also revealed that claims worth Ksh.3 billion are being re-evaluated due to missing documentation, while an additional Ksh.2.1 billion remains under investigation. The ministry has already rejected Ksh.10.6 billion in fraudulent claims involving practices such as upcoding, falsifying medical records, converting outpatient cases into inpatient admissions, and billing phantom patients.
Despite these measures, Kenya Moja leaders insist that true accountability will only come with the resignation of both Duale and Mwangangi.
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