Former Chief Justice David Maraga has issued a strong warning against corruption in Kenya’s healthcare sector. He said officials who divert money meant for patients are directly responsible for deaths in hospitals.
Patients Suffering as Funds Vanish
On Sunday, September 7, 2025, Maraga said it was shameful that payments were being made to the wrong people while hospitals continue to struggle.
“Healthcare has been in the media for the last few days, unfortunately, for the wrong reasons. Payments are being made to the wrong people when patients are suffering in hospitals. These are shameful things that we should get rid of,” he said.
Maraga noted that the theft of health funds has deadly consequences. Diseases like malaria, which are easily treatable, still kill because of a lack of medicine.
“When you take money meant for medication, and someone dies of malaria, then those who stole that money are simply murderers,” he declared.
Ruto Defends Social Health Authority
His remarks came just days after President William Ruto defended the Social Health Authority (SHA).
Ruto dismissed claims that SHA had paid ghost hospitals. Speaking at State House on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, the President said the ongoing digitisation of SHA is designed to expose fraud.
“The digitisation process of SHA is what is enabling us to detect all fraudulent claims and ghost hospitals,” he said.
He added that the new platform has safeguards that prevent a repeat of the scandals that plagued the now-defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
Digital Safeguards
According to Ruto, SHA’s digital system will stop fraudulent claims, ghost hospitals, and fake patients. He assured Kenyans that the government will not allow the health sector to collapse under corruption again.
