The Social Health Authority scandal has now placed Aden Duale at the center of public criticism. As the Health Cabinet Secretary responsible for overseeing the authority, his decisions are increasingly viewed as shielding rot instead of promoting accountability.
Duale has consistently defended SHA’s operations, but his words appear to contradict his actions, especially after the sudden removal of crucial public records that were meant to ensure transparency.
SHA, established in 2023 to replace the troubled National Health Insurance Fund, was supposed to spearhead the government’s promise of Universal Health Coverage.
Funded by mandatory deductions from Kenyans’ salaries, it manages billions that directly determine access to healthcare. Yet from its launch, Kenyans complained about poor implementation, including difficulties with registration and unclear benefits.
These issues were soon overshadowed by serious claims of mismanagement, with reports surfacing that funds were being channeled into non-existent or ghost facilities.
The controversy deepened when SHA pulled down its hospital payment records from the public website. At the same time, the Kenya Master Health Facility Registry used to verify whether facilities were genuine was disabled.
These actions, taken during rising public anger, made it impossible for citizens and journalists to track how funds were being spent. Instead of answering questions, Duale insisted that SHA was rejecting fraudulent claims, citing over 10.6 billion shillings blocked and hundreds of facilities suspended.
However, many argue that this does not explain why transparency tools were taken offline at the very moment scrutiny was needed most.
Evidence of questionable payments has continued to surface. Some facilities with little or no infrastructure received millions. In one striking example, a dispensary that never operated was allocated nearly 20 million shillings.
Duale brushed such revelations aside as historical issues, but timelines suggest some of the payouts occurred under his watch. His ministry also admitted that fraud schemes like ghost patients and exaggerated billing were rampant.
The fact that these loopholes persist shows how oversight has failed, even after SHA promised reforms.
The problem extends beyond ghost hospitals. Private health providers complain that SHA pays only a fraction of their claims, leaving them in financial strain, while ghost facilities receive funding without delays. This has led to a growing sense of betrayal among Kenyans, who contribute 2.75 percent of their salaries to SHA but still face unpaid claims and denied services.
Meanwhile, billions risk being lost through corruption.
Duale’s insistence on transparency rings hollow when data is hidden. Civil society groups have demanded audits, yet his ministry’s response has been defensive rather than open. Suspiciously, some facilities from his home region appear among those flagged in leaked reports, raising conflict-of-interest questions.
Despite warnings of prosecutions, no senior officials have been held accountable.
The disabled registry and deleted lists are not minor technical issues they are barriers that prevent public oversight.
They fuel suspicions of cover-ups and repeat the same failures that crippled NHIF in the past. For Kenyans, the promise of better healthcare through SHA has turned into another cycle of scandals and broken trust.
Duale’s role in this cannot be downplayed, as the authority under his guidance has not only failed to restore faith but has also deepened doubts about the future of healthcare reforms.
