Justina Wamae weighs in as private hospitals threaten 13-day shutdown
By Faith Lagat, September 7, 2025Former Roots Party deputy presidential candidate Justina Wamae has joined the ongoing healthcare funding debate as the Rural and Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA) threatened a nationwide shutdown.
Her remarks came as private hospitals warned they could close within days if urgent payments are not made.
In a post on X dated September 7, 2025, Wamae linked the standoff to wider national priorities, writing, “Too much for funding Article 43. Creating wealth for the nation of Kenya is the ONLY agenda. Bigger than Wantam and Tutam shenanigans.”
Hospitals issue ultimatum
On September 5, RUPHA gave the Social Health Authority (SHA) and the Ministry of Health a 13-day ultimatum, demanding immediate settlement of Ksh33 billion in arrears. Their conditions include full payment of NHIF debts, a 50 per cent reduction in SHA arrears, reversal of rejected claims, and the creation of a Dispute Resolution Tribunal.
“Kenyan hospitals are on their knees. We need to remain open for our patients,” RUPHA stated in its communication. The association stressed that the financial burden was pushing both large and small facilities to the brink, with service delivery at risk if the crisis is not resolved.
Mounting arrears and rejected claims
RUPHA disclosed that SHA had settled Ksh53 billion of the Ksh96.2 billion in submitted claims by August 2025, leaving Ksh43 billion unpaid. Of this, Ksh15.2 billion is owed to 83 major facilities such as Kenyatta National Hospital and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, while Ksh17.8 billion is owed to 2,600 smaller facilities across the country.
The association further flagged irregularities, pointing to Ksh10.6 billion in rejected claims and citing the case of Sipili Maternity, a closed facility still receiving Ksh13.7 million. It accused government agencies of politicising the health crisis, warning that continued delays risk undermining access to care for thousands of patients.
Earlier, on September 3, Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union deputy Secretary General Dennis Miskellah cautioned that SHA’s heavy reliance on private hospitals was unsustainable, given payment delays and systemic gaps.