Busia Senator and activist Okiya Omtatah has called on the Ministry of Health to suspend the Social Health Authority (SHA) immediately following the expose by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu.
The AG revealed that SHA is a Ksh104 billion corruption scheme that the government neither owns nor controls, jeopardizing the billions Kenyans contribute to healthcare.
Following the revelation, Omtatah has issued three demands to the ministry, including the immediate suspension of SHA pending a full investigation into its glaring operational failures.
Furthermore, Omtatah is calling for a comprehensive overhaul of SHA’s framework and for those responsible for the alleged grand theft to be held accountable to prevent further plundering of public resources.
"These are not mere teething problems; they are systemic failures that undermine public confidence and threaten the future of Universal Health Coverage in Kenya," the Senator noted.
"Continuing with this broken scheme will cause irreparable harm, betraying the trust of millions who deserve a transparent, accountable, and functional healthcare system, not a corruption cartel disguised as progress," he said.
According to Omtatah, the unfortunate realities within SHA have resulted in a dysfunctional system that, instead of advancing universal healthcare, exploits Kenyans while enabling large-scale corruption.
In an in-depth report on the system, Auditor General Nancy Gathungu revealed that 2.5 per cent of member contributions to SHA were being deducted and placed into an escrow account that lacks transparency and proper oversight.
She further highlighted that the SHA project continues to face numerous challenges, including uncompetitive procurement processes, a lack of payment agreements, and unfavourable contract clauses.
Her report has led to increased calls from stakeholders, including leaders and the public, for the cancellation of the SHA deal and further scrutiny of the project's governance and financial management.
Among those questioning the system, in addition to Omtatah, is former LSK President Nelson Havi, who alleged that SHA is a criminal enterprise used by the president to amass funds for bribing MPs.
Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary for Public Service and Human Capital Development, Justin Muturi, revealed that he had previously warned the public to exercise caution regarding the manner in which the Ksh104 billion contract for the system was executed.
President William Ruto denied that the government used Ksh104 billion to procure the SHA system.
''There is not a single cent from the government that will be used to pay for any system. Most of the money owned by the NHIF was being misappropriated by the brokers in the old NHIF system,'' Ruto on Tuesday.
