Friday, January 31, 2025 – National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has changed his tune on the controversial Social Health Authority (SHA) that is being implemented by President William Ruto.
This is after he led fellow MPs
to admit that the new health scheme is inefficient and not working for Kenyans.
SHA's officials led by
Chairperson Mohamed Abdi defended the scheme, but legislators were unsatisfied
with their presentation as they wondered why patients were turned away from
hospitals due to system downtimes and lengthy approval procedures.
"The presentation by Abdi shows that either those implementing SHIF lack the capacity or are not qualified to run the scheme. The chair cannot simply tell us the information is on the website.
"Why can't you communicate effectively?" National Assembly
Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah posed.
As a result, the lawmakers
called for a review of SHA, citing operational failures that have prevented
some Kenyans from accessing health services in public and private facilities.
"The PS (Harry Kimtai) has
a vision but the implementation is a problem. My suggestion is that you give
yourself six months so that if this Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) fails,
we go back to NHIF," Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo said.
Other MPs who questioned SHA's
inefficiencies were Mumias East MP Peter Salasya, Kitutu Chache South's Antony
Kibagendi, Kabondo Kasipul's Eva Obara, and Nyandarua woman rep Faith Gitau.
The Kenyan DAILY POST.
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