The rollout of Kenya’s Social Health Authority (SHA) is leaving many Kenyans stranded in hospitals, unable to access medical services despite religiously paying their monthly contributions. Patients and their families are grappling with unexpected costs and bureaucratic hurdles, exposing major flaws in the system.
Moses Ndolo, a security guard in Mombasa, recently experienced this firsthand when he rushed his critically ill wife to Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital (CGTRH). Unaware of new SHA regulations requiring notification within 24 hours of admission, Ndolo was later informed he had to foot the entire hospital bill himself. Despite being a fully registered SHA contributor, he now faces a bill of Ksh 138,720, with additional X-ray costs of Ksh 25,000. His frustration echoes the plight of many Kenyans who have paid into SHA but still find themselves stranded when they need medical care the most.
Similarly, boda boda rider Khamis Thoya was left in distress when his elder brother, Richard, succumbed to illness after a month in the same hospital. His SHA registration was incomplete, leading to an overwhelming bill of Ksh 522,000. Unable to clear the amount, the hospital has refused to release the body, adding a separate mortuary bill to his burden. “I might as well just bury a symbolic banana tree,” Thoya lamented, reflecting his despair.
Nominated Senator Miraj Abdillahi, who visited CGTRH to hear patients’ grievances, was shocked by the cases she encountered. “We have been encouraging Kenyans to register for SHA, yet what I have witnessed reveals serious gaps in the system,” she said. She questioned why the government failed to sensitize the public about the new notification rule and accused hospitals of prioritizing cash payments over SHA claims.
While the government insists that SHA is fully operational, these harrowing experiences paint a different picture. President William Ruto has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to Universal Health Care, but urgent reforms are needed to prevent more Kenyans from suffering.
Without immediate action, SHA risks becoming a failed promise rather than the lifeline it was meant to be.
