Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has dismissed criticism from former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over the operations of the Social Health Authority (SHA), challenging him to publicly release a dossier he claims exposes misuse of funds within the system.
Speaking on Sunday, March 29 during a Waqf empowerment event hosted by Wajir South MP Mohammed Adow, Duale rubbished Gachagua’s allegations that the government was undermining faith-based hospitals through SHA. He insisted the authority remains fully functional and financially stable.
“I dare Riggy G to release that dossier tomorrow at 10. As of this morning, we have paid health facilities across the country – faith-based, private, and public – KSh 21 billion,” Duale stated.
The CS further accused Gachagua of attempting to politicise the health sector by exploiting concerns among private and faith-based medical institutions for personal gain.
Duale also moved to counter claims of financial mismanagement, revealing that over 30.1 million Kenyans are currently registered under SHA, with approximately 12,000 new registrations recorded daily. He added that the government has so far disbursed about KSh 92.5 billion under the programme. Of this, roughly KSh 75 billion has been channelled through the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), KSh 13 billion allocated to primary healthcare, KSh 3.5 billion released for civil servants and teachers, and about KSh 1 billion set aside for emergency, chronic, and critical illness care.
Additionally, Duale noted that the government has mobilised approximately KSh 156 billion to sustain the programme, including KSh 115 billion from SHIF contributions, KSh 19.8 billion for primary healthcare, KSh 12 billion from public officers, and KSh 8.3 billion for emergency and critical care funding.
In response, Rigathi Gachagua maintained his criticism of the health reforms, warning that SHA risks collapsing within six months due to alleged inefficiencies and irregularities. Speaking during a church service in Ndia Constituency, he claimed that billions of shillings owed to hospitals remain unpaid and urged private facilities to demand settlement of dues or consider reverting to upfront payment models.
Gachagua, one of the government’s most vocal critics, has repeatedly questioned the credibility of SHA, citing alleged phantom claims and fraudulent payouts, claims that the government continues to strongly deny.