SHA fraud claims: Resign or face impeachment, MPs tell CS Duale

Pressure continues to mount on Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale to take responsibility over alleged fraud at the Social Health Authority (SHA).

This is after a section of MPs allied to the Kenya Moja Faction gave Duale a 48-hour ultimatum to resign, failure to which they will introduce an impeachment motion once the House resumes.

The legislators, led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Kitutu Chache MP Antoney Kibagendi, accuse the health boss of aiding and abetting an alleged scandal at the Authority that has allegedly led to loss of billions from the taxpayers’ coffers.

The lawmakers, who claim to have uncovered evidence of a deep-rooted conflict of interest, are also demanding the immediate resignation of both the Chairperson and CEO of the Social Health Authority (SHA) and a complete overhaul of the fund.

They allege that payments under SHA are skewed and discriminatory, with some providers consistently receiving funds while others, despite offering genuine health services, have never been paid.

Additionally, the MPs claim that “ghost” health facilities are being paid regularly, a revelation they say will form the basis of their planned impeachment motion against Duale.

Speaking at the Media Centre in Parliament, Kibagendi revealed that when the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) was shut down, it had accumulated arrears totalling Ksh 32 billion.

He claimed that in just 10 months, SHA has already amassed Ksh 43 billion in unpaid claims, bringing the total outstanding debt to a staggering Ksh 75 billion.

This development comes just hours after CS Duale disclosed that SHA had rejected Ksh10 billion in claims from fraudulent hospitals, which have since been closed.