Duale to hospitals: Manipulate UHC system and you’ll be shut down

In a forceful declaration signalling the government’s resolve to safeguard its ambitious Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale issued a stern warning to healthcare providers: any attempt to undermine the integrity of the new system would lead to immediate closure.
The directive, delivered during a strategic public engagement in Kisumu County, underscores the government’s commitment to a health system free from fraud and inefficiency.
Speaking at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Sports Complex on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, Duale outlined significant strides made under the newly operational Social Health Authority (SHA).
He reported that 295 healthcare providers across the nation have already been officially empanelled into the UHC framework, with 135 of these being public health facilities, marking progress towards broader accessibility.

However, the Cabinet Secretary also highlighted lingering operational kinks.
“Despite this progress, 12 facilities are yet to sign their contracts and 8 have reported service or claim gaps,” Duale noted, urging county leadership to move swiftly to finalise contracting and resolve any system inactivity that may disrupt access to care.
Duale emphasised that the centrepiece of the country’s UHC drive, the Taifa Care model, must remain resolutely people-centred, with concerted efforts to extend care to the nation’s most vulnerable citizens, regardless of their age, income, or social standing.
He revealed that SHA has introduced robust mechanisms for transparency and accountability, including the integration of artificial intelligence to proactively detect and prevent fraudulent activities within the system.
“We are building a health system that is not only efficient but also inclusive and accountable,” Duale stated, signalling a zero-tolerance approach to exploitation.
His warning was unequivocal:
“Any facility found to be undermining the integrity of these reforms will be shut down. The misuse of OTP (One-Time Password) doctors’ pre-authorisation codes is a serious breach and will not be tolerated.”
This stark message aims to deter potential abuses of the digital pre-authorisation system, a critical component designed to streamline access to services.
CS Duale’s visit to Kisumu, hosted by Governor Anyang Nyong’o, served as a key engagement in the Ministry’s broader strategy.

It sought to strengthen public trust, foster intergovernmental collaboration between national and county levels, and reaffirm the government’s promise of delivering UHC as a constitutional right for every Kenyan.
The visit was also a platform to activate the Taifa Care and Digital Health Transformation Agenda, core enablers of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Earlier in the day, Duale commissioned vital new diagnostic equipment — a CT Scan and Mammography machine — at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), under the National Equipment Service Program (NESP).
These upgrades are expected to significantly bolster diagnostic capacity in the region.
Duale further announced that JOOTRH is earmarked for additional enhancements, including MRI machines, dialysis units, and specialised surgical and laboratory services, all designed to bridge critical service gaps and expand equitable access to quality care.
On the digital front, the Cabinet Secretary reported that Kisumu County has already automated 39 public health facilities and received 234 digital devices.

Plans are well underway to complete the automation of the remaining 61 facilities within the year through the TaifaCare Health Management Information System (HMIS).
The impending Health Information Exchange, Duale asserted, will be pivotal in ensuring continuity of care, enhancing transparency, and empowering patients by allowing them to access their health records, SHA eligibility, and payment status from anywhere.
Addressing healthcare workers, the CS reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to implementing the bed capacity access rule, a policy aimed at upholding patient dignity by ensuring that hospital admissions strictly align with facility capacity, thereby preventing overcrowding and compromising care standards.
Duale lauded Kisumu County for its impressive lead in Social Health Authority (SHA) registration, with 598,000 residents already enrolled, representing 52% of its population.
He noted that 200,000 of these individuals have undergone means testing, contributing an average of Ksh573.
While commending this progress and the growing public trust, he called for intensified sensitisation efforts to ensure all registered individuals are fully covered and protected under the new system.