Nyeri Catholic Diocese Archbishop Anthony Muheria has urged the government to streamline the Social Health Authority (SHA) medical insurance to offset the huge bills that mission hospitals are claiming from the authority.

Speaking on Saturday, November 29, 2025, in Nanyuki, Muheria lamented that there are still a lot of people stuck with huge hospital bills despite having paid for SHA.

“Many Kenyans are struggling because SHA is not working as it should. People are being forced to suspend treatment or delay essential procedures simply because SHA is not working on them, or where it works, it does not clear all the bills,” Muheria stated.

He called on other hospitals to come up with innovative ways to help their clients raise money for hospital bills, adding that SHA is no longer fully dependable.

Muheria said that a good number of Kenyans are unable to continue treatment due to unpaid medical bills. He noted that many families are now suffering in silence as SHA continues to grow and stabilise.

Is SHA failing Kenyans?

 Muheria explained that the fund will focus on patients who require long-term treatment, emergency surgeries, dialysis, cancer care, and other critical situations that are financially draining.

According to Muheria, there is a sharp rise in cases where patients are discharged prematurely or avoid follow-up care due to cost.

“I remember a boy named Brian who has stayed in our hospital for seven years. Brian was born disabled, and the condition required him to be in the hospital full-time.”

“We have taken care of him in all aspects at the hospital, but even if you asked the family to pay a bill of seven years, would they? This brought us to the thought of: one, what if we get ten such cases?” Muheria posed.

The cleric said medical care should not be a privilege but a basic right.