SHA is a conduit to steal funds from the public, Gachagua claims
A fresh political storm is brewing over the management of Kenya’s health sector, with opposition leaders intensifying their attacks on Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, accusing him of mismanaging reforms under the controversial Social Health Authority (SHA).
The United Alternative Government team, led by Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) party leader Rigathi Gachagua, claimed the sector is on the verge of collapse, alleging that the SHA system is riddled with irregularities and conflicts of interest.
Gachagua also claimed that SHA is a conduit to steal funds from Kenyan taxpayers alleging that they have credible information that the system that hold country’s health infrastructure and database would “collapse” in a record six months’ time.
Speaking during a joint press briefing today, Gachagua accused Duale of overseeing what he termed a fraudulent scheme, alleging that companies running the SHA system are linked to the CS as proxies.
He claimed that these consortium firms have received millions of shillings in payments even as public hospitals struggle with mounting unpaid bills.
Gachagua further alleged that the transition from the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to SHA was orchestrated by President William Ruto to facilitate the misappropriation of public funds.
According to the former Deputy President, the move has instead deepened the crisis in public healthcare, leaving patients to shoulder costs that should ordinarily be covered.
He also raised concerns over the management of the SHA system, claiming that its IT infrastructure has been relocated to Dubai and that there is no local department to effectively monitor financial flows. As a result, he argued, accountability has been compromised.
“Despite Kenyans being taxed daily, these funds are not being used prudently. Instead, patients are being forced to pay cash for essential supplies, including reagents, in public hospitals,” Gachagua said.
His sentiments were echoed by Eugene Wamalwa and Justin Muturi, who said the public has lost confidence in the current administration and is increasingly demanding change.
The opposition leaders also took issue with the recent Gikomba demolitions, condemning the government for what they described as inhumane and punitive actions against small-scale traders.
Gachagua questioned the administration’s priorities, accusing it of turning against the very citizens it was elected to serve.
The team maintained that the country is in urgent need of a reset, arguing that the current leadership has failed to effectively manage national resources and steer Kenya in the right direction.
