Duale Rallies SHA Board to Uphold Transparency, Integrity in UHC Rollout » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 1 – Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has called on the Social Health Authority (SHA) Board to prioritise transparency, financial discipline, and fraud prevention as key pillars in the effective rollout of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) under the Taifa Care programme.

Speaking during a high-level meeting at the SHA headquarters in Nairobi, Duale underscored the critical role of principled and people-centred governance in earning and maintaining public trust in the country’s new health financing framework.

“Every policy decision we make in this room carries profound implications for Kenyans—from the expectant mother in Migori, to the cancer patient in Nyeri, to the elderly citizen in Garissa. They all depend on us to deliver a health financing system that is efficient, sustainable, and truly worthy of their trust,” said Duale.

Accompanied by Director General for Health Dr. Patrick Amoth, the CS outlined three key areas of strategic focus for the SHA Board:

• Enforcing strict financial discipline, including adherence to the 5% ceiling on administrative expenditure.
• Establishing robust audit and oversight mechanisms to guard against fraud.
• Providing visionary leadership to guide SHA’s institutional and digital transformation.

Duale also urged the board to ensure the timely payment of claims and to generate sustainable revenue streams to guarantee the continuity and expansion of Taifa Care.

“Your stewardship will determine whether Taifa Care reaches its full potential. Fraud is the single biggest threat to its success, and we must confront it head-on. The trust Kenyans have placed in us demands nothing less than total accountability,” he stated.

The meeting was chaired by SHA Board Chairperson Dr. Abdi Mohamed and attended by SHA CEO Dr. Mercy Mwangangi. The session comes at a pivotal time as SHA undergoes significant reforms and transitions to a fully digital platform.

To date, over 22 million Kenyans have registered under SHA, marking a major step towards providing affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare services for all.