A group of
youthful Members of Parliament allied to the Kenya Moja movement have called
for the resignation of Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and Social Health
Authority (SHA) chairman Abdi Mohamed over the ongoing controversy surrounding
SHA operations and delays in payments to hospitals.
Led by
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, the legislators said they were dissatisfied with
how the new health insurance scheme was being managed.
They issued a 72-hour ultimatum for the CS and SHA chair to vacate the office, saying they would seek other avenues to push for accountability if this did not happen.
“We now demand the immediate resignation of CS Aden Duale and the chairman of SHA, as well as the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into SHA within the next 48 hours. If this is not done, we will call on all Kenyans to act,” Kitutu Chache MP Anthony Kibagendi said while reading a statement on behalf of the group.
Kibagendi added that they want leadership changes at SHA to restore confidence in the health insurance scheme and ensure funds owed to hospitals are paid promptly.
By press
time, CS Duale had not responded to calls and text messages seeking his
comment.
However, he
has previously dismissed any claims of wrongdoing and reiterated his commitment
to reforming the health sector. On X (formerly Twitter), he wrote:
“No amount
of propaganda or blackmail will deter us from fixing our healthcare system… We
will not rest until every Kenyan has access to quality, affordable, and
dignified healthcare.”
The MPs
present included Wilberforce Oundo (Funyula), Clive Gisairo (Kitutu Masaba) and
Obadia Barongo (Bomachoge Borabu). Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba, who was
expected to join them, was unable to access Parliament’s Media Centre as she is
still serving a suspension from the House.
The legislators also raised concerns over SHA’s rising pending bills, noting that hospitals are still awaiting payment for services rendered under the scheme.
They
signalled plans to raise the matter formally in Parliament when it resumes and
to summon the CS to explain what they termed challenges affecting the new
health insurance programme.
“When NHIF was shut down, it had arrears totalling Sh32
billion. In just 10 months, SHA has already accumulated Sh43 billion in unpaid
claims — bringing the total debt to a staggering Sh75 billion,” Kibagendi
claimed.
