Health cabinet secretary Aden Duale has halted Ksh30 billion owed by the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to hospitals until the pending verifications are completed

While addressing the media on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, the cabinet secretary stated that the money will only be paid to the respective facilities after verification of claims.

“Tutafautishe SHA na NHIF, NHIF tukp na bill ya ksh30 billion, lakini tumesema we must verify those bills; if we can confirm that Ksh30 billion is verified, the government will pay, but you must go through verification,” Duale stated.

Demands by RUPHA

This comes amid calls by the Rural Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA), which issued a strong appeal to the government, demanding immediate action on billions owed to health facilities across the country.

In a statement shared on X by RUPHA on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, RUPHA said the state must move swiftly to clear the Ksh33 billion debt owed to hospitals by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

The association emphasised that the financial strain has pushed many facilities to the brink, affecting service delivery and the health of millions of Kenyans.

“Please pay the 33B NHIF debt owed to all hospitals in Kenya,” RUPHA said.

Alongside the NHIF debt, the group also called on the government to address outstanding arrears from the Social Health Authority (SHA). According to the statement, hospitals are owed Ksh43 billion under SHA claims, a backlog that has continued to pile up.

RUPHA proposed an urgent intervention by the government to ease the financial burden, suggesting that at least half of the SHA arrears be cleared without delay. “Pay 50 per cent of the 43B SHA debt,” the association stated.

The group also criticised the massive rejection of hospital claims under SHA, saying the process was unfair and detrimental to the survival of health institutions. RUPHA called for rejected claims to be reconsidered under a more transparent mechanism that gives facilities a chance to comply.

Convert massive claim rejections to ‘Clarification’ and give hospitals 2 weeks to comply as per the SHA contract,” the statement read.