Nairobi

President William Ruto has promised that Kenya’s new Social Health Authority (SHA) will succeed, insisting that fraud will no longer cripple the country’s health system.

Addressing grassroots leaders from Kiambu County at State House on Wednesday, Mr Ruto linked the overhaul to years of corruption scandals at the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), which he said collapsed under a debt of 30 billion shillings.

“The theft that collapsed NHIF into Sh30 billion debt will not happen under SHA. The digitisation process is helping us detect fraudulent claims, ghost hospitals, and fake patients,” the president said.

Mr Ruto revealed that close to 1,000 facilities have already been shut down after being flagged for malpractice. But he stressed that closure alone was not enough.

“We are not going to stop at closing the facilities. We will also make sure they refund the money if they have been paid. And thirdly, we are going to prosecute them, because it is criminal to steal money meant for patients,” he warned.

The president framed the crackdown as central to ensuring that taxpayer money is protected while expanding access to quality care. “Watch this space. SHA is going to work, because we are going to eliminate fraud,” he said.

The tougher stance came a day after SHA announced the suspension of several facilities across the country. In a gazette notice, SHA’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Mercy Mwangangi, confirmed the suspensions but did not give details of the offences.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 48 (6) of the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023, the Social Health Authority hereby gives notice to the public of the suspension of the health facilities set out in the Schedule below,” the notice read.

The affected facilities are spread widely, with Mandera accounting for the highest number at ten. Others include Homa Bay (six), Kisii (seven), Kisumu (three), Garissa (three), Kakamega (two), Bungoma (two), Wajir (two), and single facilities in Nairobi, Meru, Turkana, Narok, Kirinyaga, Busia, Migori, Nandi, Kajiado, and Uasin Gishu.

For many Kenyans, the SHA represents a test of whether sweeping reforms can deliver what decades of promises have not: affordable, reliable healthcare free of corruption.