Kimilili Member of Parliament (MP) Didmus Barasa has urged President William Ruto to reassess the Social Health Authority (SHA) policy, citing its failure to provide medical services to Kenyans effectively.
Speaking in Maraka Ward, Webuye East, on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, Barasa, who is a strong supporter of President Ruto, called on the government to allocate more funds to the scheme to prevent further suffering among citizens.
Barasa acknowledged that while SHA was introduced to replace the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) with the promise of covering medical costs for low-income earners, the system is not functioning as intended. He pointed out that hospitals are turning away patients due to outstanding debts owed by SHA to private medical facilities.
“Tulitoa NHIF tukaleta SHA. Na tukakubaliana kuwa wale watu ambao ni maskini hawana pesa, SHA iwalipie matibabu. Hio ndio ilikuwa maono yetu na raisi wetu Ruto. Na akatuamrisha tukatafuta Wakenya ili wajisajili Kwa SHA. Wakenya zaidi ya 15 million. Changamoto iko ni wamama hawa wakienda kutibiwa hospitali, wengine wanakatazwa kwa sababu pengine ile hospitali tayari SHA wako na deni yake ya mamilioni ya pesa and the hospital has no capacity to treat them, kwa hivyo inakataa kutibu wagonjwa,” Didmus noted.
According to Barasa, the number of Kenyans contributing to SHA through salary deductions is significantly lower than those depending on it for medical care. This imbalance has led to financial constraints that prevent the system from meeting the needs of the population. He called on President Ruto to address the issue urgently by reallocating funds from other sectors to support SHA before seeking parliamentary approval to regularize the scheme.
“Changamoto ingine ni kwamba wale wakenya walijisajili kwa SHA na wale ambao wanakatwa mshahara kama mimi si wengi sana na pesa yao yote haiwzi kubeba mahitaji ya Wakenya wote ambao wanaishi katika hali ya umaskini. Nakuomba raisi wetu Ruto, Kenyans are crying, SHA is not working, there is no money, and the system cannot accommodate the Kenyans. Appropriate money before you bring it to parliament to regularize, chukua pesa ya kutosha kutoka sector nyingine uweke kwa SHA ndio wananchi wasiendelee kuangaika,” the lawmaker added.
Adding;
“The people who will vote for you are the poor people who need medical health, and they rely on SHA. Mr. President, sort out SHA. A public policy should fix a problem. Wakenya wanatarajia SHA itatua iyo shida yenye ililetwa na NHIF. If SHA is unable to fix the problem that was brought by NHIF, then review that SHA policy.”
RUPHA concerns
Barasa’s remarks come as the healthcare sector is paralysed following the decision by private hospitals to suspend services under SHA. The Rural & Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA) announced the indefinite suspension on February 20, 2025, with the directive taking effect on February 24, 2025. The move has affected over 600 private and faith-based hospitals across the country.
RUPHA cited financial constraints as the main reason for the suspension, revealing that private hospitals are struggling due to unpaid claims amounting to Ksh30 billion. The association highlighted an unsustainable reimbursement model that has made it difficult for hospitals to operate effectively.
As a result, many healthcare facilities have been forced to lay off staff, delay salary payments, experience shortages in medical supplies, and default on loans. RUPHA Chairman Brian Lishenga expressed concern that the government’s failure to honor financial obligations had pushed hospitals to the brink of collapse. He warned that continued delays in addressing these issues would directly endanger patient care and hospital sustainability.
“The continued failure to resolve critical challenges in the SHA transition is directly endangering patient care and hospital sustainability. Hospitals have lost staff, defaulted on loans, and faced medicine shortages due to delayed payments,” RUPHA Chairman Brian Lishenga said.
To mitigate the impact of the suspension, RUPHA issued operational guidelines aimed at ensuring patients are not abandoned while also safeguarding healthcare providers from financial collapse. According to these guidelines, patients who were admitted before February 24, 2025, will continue receiving treatment without any disruptions. Additionally, private hospitals will maintain emergency services. However, new admissions under the SHA scheme remain suspended until the financial dispute is resolved.
Govt response
In response to the crisis, the government denied owing private hospitals the KSh30 billion and encouraged patients to seek medical care at public hospitals, where services remain free. However, this directive has heightened tensions between the government and private healthcare providers. While private institutions struggle financially, public hospitals now face an overwhelming influx of patients, stretching their resources and workforce.
The crisis has also been aggravated by technical failures within the SHA system. Hospitals have, in the recent past, reported difficulties in processing claims due to a non-functional claims portal and challenges in verifying patient eligibility. These issues have led to further delays in reimbursements and inefficiencies in service delivery.
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