Several Social Health Authority (SHA) executives, including former acting CEO Robert Ingasira, have been arrested in connection with four fraud cases cleared for prosecution by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). The arrests stem from investigations into alleged financial irregularities within the SHA framework, with suspects facing charges of conspiracy to defraud, falsification of records, and misuse of funds.

• Among the arrested are Robert Ingasira and others from various medical facilities and sub-county hospitals.
• Authorities are also seeking Elijah Wachira, Ingasira’s predecessor, for alleged irregular payments to a non-contracted medical facility in Homa Bay County.
• Specific alleged fraudulent payments include Sh17,591,473 at Archprime Medical Clinic in Oyugis, Homa Bay County, where Ingasira allegedly authorized payments to a facility not yet contracted.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has urged Parliament to increase funding for the Primary Healthcare Fund (PHCF) and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund (ECCIF), vital for Kenya's health reforms. He highlighted the Social Health Authority (SHA) is suffering from inadequate resources despite major strides in operationalisation.

• Duale stated both funds are currently underfunded relative to their mandates, limiting nationwide coverage.
• The PHCF supports free primary healthcare services at Level 1 to 3 facilities, focusing on preventive and basic curative care.
• The ECCIF provides financial protection for high-cost treatments like emergency medical care and chronic disease management.
• The CS also called for the fast-tracking of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) legacy debt settlement.
• The Ministry of Health plans to roll out Ambulance Evacuation Services Benefits and launch the cashless, technology-driven National Ambulance Dispatch Centre (NADC).
• Parliament will scrutinize annual budget proposals for PHCF and ECCIF funding, with potential for supplementary appropriation bills if deemed insufficient.

Kenya's Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale revealed that the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) left behind a staggering Sh10 billion debt, severely impacting health facilities across the country. This debt is crippling operations, particularly for faith-based, private, and county hospitals.

• The NHIF left a total debt of Sh10 billion, with Sh5.3 billion specifically for unpaid claims under Sh10 million.
• Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale disclosed this information to the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Health.
• The Cabinet has prioritized settling smaller verified claims first, with verification ongoing by the Social Health Authority (SHA), and a supplementary budget anticipated for release of funds.