Caleb Amisi pressures Duale to clarify SHA scandal
By Mustafa Juma, August 25, 2025Saboti Member of Parliament (MP) Caleb Amisi has demanded that Health Secretary Aden Duale provide clarity on the unfolding scandal surrounding the Social Health Authority (SHA).
Taking to his official X account on Monday, August 25, 2025, Amisi warned that the issue is now a matter of national security and the legitimacy of the government.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) second-term lawmaker further said that the controversy touches on the very heart of Kenyans’ well-being and cannot be brushed aside.
“The minister must come out clearly and explain the ongoing imbroglio surrounding SHA. This is the health of a nation. It touches on human security,” Amisi stated.
He argued that the state’s sovereignty and the legitimacy of any government depend on its ability to safeguard the lives and dignity of its citizens.
“A state sovereignty and government legitimacy is conditional to its capacity to guarantee human security. Kenya needs a renaissance,” he asserted.
SHA scandal
Amisi’s remarks come as public anger mounts over revelations that billions of shillings meant for healthcare may have been stolen through fraudulent claims and fictitious hospitals.
SHA was created to replace the troubled National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), which was dissolved after years of mismanagement.
However, the new authority now faces similar accusations of corruption and inefficiency.
In March 2025, the authority released Ksh11.4 billion to hospitals across the country.
The payments sparked immediate concern after reports showed that some small private facilities had received unusually high amounts.
Doctors’ unions and civil society groups warned that some of the facilities were either nonexistent or had exaggerated claims to receive the funds.
SHA crackdown
Through June and July, the Ministry of Health launched a crackdown. Duale revealed that investigators had discovered falsified patient records, duplicate claims, and cases of forced admissions.
He disclosed that some hospitals created ghost patients and inflated bed capacity to pocket millions.
The government has since shut down or suspended dozens of facilities in different counties. On August 7, 2025, a Kenya Gazette notice listed 40 hospitals suspended from the SHA program following a forensic audit. Authorities also blocked access for 12 doctors and clinicians who were linked to suspicious claims.
Investigators said some hospitals disguised outpatients as inpatients to inflate costs. In one shocking case, investigators traced a payout to a site that turned out to be a thicket rather than a functioning hospital.
The incident reinforced fears that ghost hospitals and ghost patients were being used to steal taxpayers’ money.
SHA has dismissed some of the claims. The authority denied reports that Ksh20 million had been sent to Nyandiwa Hospital, insisting the allegations were false.