Twenty-six patients, including new mothers, were detained at JM Memorial Hospital in Nyandarua for months due to unpaid medical bills, highlighting challenges with the Social Health Authority (SHA) payment system.

• Nyandarua Governor Kiarie Badilisha intervened, costing the county government over Sh1 million to secure the release of the detained patients.
• Patients expressed inability to afford the monthly SHA subscription fees, which they claimed disadvantage those without formal employment, unlike the previous NHIF model.
• Hospital officials noted that detaining patients incurs additional costs for the facility and can lead to patients contracting other diseases, complicating recovery and increasing expenses.