Kenya’s healthcare system is sinking deeper into crisis as senators express their anger over its mismanagement.
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka did not hold back in his criticism of Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Mulongo, saying she appeared completely lost when asked about the ongoing problems.
Kitui Senator Enock Wambua also found her responses unimpressive, insisting that she must appear before a full Senate committee for more questioning.
Their frustrations reflect growing concerns about who is really in charge of Kenya’s healthcare system.
According to reports by Nelson Amenya on X (formerly twitter), serious allegations are now emerging that businessman Jayesh Saini has an unseen grip on the Social Health Authority (SHA) and the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
It is claimed that while government officials struggle to explain the crisis, Saini is pulling the strings from his private offices at Museum Hill. Whistleblowers allege that his influence goes deep into financial operations and digital platforms, raising fears of unchecked corruption and impunity.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has even called for SHA and SHIF to be declared criminal enterprises. If these claims are true, it would mean that a private businessman is running Kenya’s health sector, not the government.
Ordinary Kenyans are the ones suffering. Public hospitals are turning away patients because the government is not reimbursing them for services rendered.
Medical workers are complaining about unfair salary deductions, and many of them have threatened to go on strike. The new social health scheme, which was supposed to improve healthcare, is now looking like a complete failure. Billions of shillings are at stake, but instead of benefiting the public, the money seems to be flowing into unknown pockets.
Kenyans are now questioning whether the healthcare system is meant to serve them or just a few well-connected individuals.The government is now at a crossroads. It can either take decisive action against corruption or let the crisis get worse.
CS Deborah Mulongo is under intense check, and Kenyans want answers. Will the government finally clean up the healthcare mess, or will this scandal disappear like many others before it? The coming days will be critical in deciding the future of Kenya’s health system. If no serious action is taken, Kenyans will continue to suffer while those benefiting from the mess keep getting richer.
