St Mary’s Mission Hospital, Kakamega paid Sh98 million dues

Health CS Aden Duale has confirmed the disbursement of Sh98 million in owed funds to the St Mary’s Mission Hospital in Mumias, Kakamega county, facilitating its imminent reopening.

Duale further announced that the national government is set to pay the county a portion of outstanding claims from the Social Health Authority.

“By 14th of this month, the date SHA pays reimbursements, we shall pay Kakamega county Sh100 million and the remaining balances to be paid out once verification of all claims are concluded,” he told journalists after a meeting at the governor’s offices. 

Duale detailed that the ministry has implemented an AI-powered detection system designed to monitor every transaction in real time, identifying suspicious patterns and preventing fraudulent claims.

The hospital, which is operated by the Kakamega Catholic Diocese, suspended its operations owing to financial difficulties and accusations of unpaid funds by the Ministry of Health.

Countering this narrative, Duale stated that the facility had received reimbursements totalling Sh98 million from December 2024 through August of this year.

“So from where we sit, St Mary’s Hospital has not been closed by SHA, nor by the regulator Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist council, or the Digital Health Agency that controls the system and their license valid to operate.”

The hospital is scheduled to receive a further Sh14.3 million within two weeks. He also noted that an agreement had been reached with Bishop Joseph Obanyi of the Kakamega Diocese on a strategy to settle the remaining balances pending verification.

Upon reopening of the health facility, he will preside over a donation of a consignment of drugs from the government and a medical camp at the facility for area residents, Duale added.

“Those who are peddling rumours in funerals and to use St Mary’s hospital for political mileage to look for something else to talk about”, he said, in an apparent reference to politicians who have been calling for his resignation over non-remittance of claims to health facilities countrywide.

The ministry plans to launch a Digital Tracking System across all public health facilities to combat the theft of medical supplies.

“We have put in place a water tight solid system to ensure that no staff can steal any medical commodities, not even a Panadol and the system will be operational in all public health institutions in two weeks’ time,” he added.

Bishop Obanyi, who also spoke to the media, said the discussions with the CS and his delegation was productive. 

He also confirmed that the hospital had been paid a sum of Sh98,671,567 from SHA between December 2024 and August this year.

“We have pending claims of Sh35 million that we expect to receive from SHA which will help us clear the arrears for workers’ pay,” he said.

“We also have pending Sh10 million still being verified by SHA and will continue engaging.” 

The Bishop attributed the cessation of medical services to a workers’ strike, which was triggered by three months of accrued salary arrears from the defunct National Health Insurance Fund, amounting to Sh143 million.

The Sh14 million pending claim, once paid, will enable the hospital’s management to negotiate with staff for a return to work, he added. 

Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa reported that the county has enrolled 800,000 individuals under SHA, against a target of 1.8 million people.

“We have embarked on a serious registration exercise to register the remaining one million people and I urge the residents to turn up and register in order to benefit,” he said.

The governor said the county is still owed Sh293 million in pending bills from the SHA. This includes Sh72 million for level two and three facilities, Sh55 million for level four facilities and Sh166 million for the Kakamega County Teaching and Referral Hospital, a level 5 facility.

In attendance at the meeting were the PS for Medical Services, Dr Ouma Oluga and the SHA CEO Dr Mercy Mwangangi, amongst other officials.