The Social Health Authority (SHA) is facing serious problems that are causing distress for many public servants and hospitals.
Nancy Mwangangi, the SHA CEO, has come under heavy criticism because since the authority started operating nine months ago, it has failed to pay hospitals claims totaling about 3 billion shillings. This failure has forced many public servants to pay cash when visiting private hospitals, something that was supposed to be avoided.
Several hospitals, including faith-based ones, have warned that they may stop treating patients covered by SHA if the money owed to them is not paid soon. Kakamega Governor Fernandez Baraza has urged the government to release the funds quickly to prevent the collapse of health services in these facilities.
A leaked email from Nancy Mwangangi has added more worry to the growing controversy. In her email, she admits that SHA has not processed a single claim since it began. She explains that this delay is due to “ongoing system upgrades” and lengthy “verification checks.” She also warns that the backlog has become so large that clearing it could take months, even if payments start immediately.
In the same email, Nancy Mwangangi reveals that many hospitals have stopped accepting patients covered by SHA because of the non-payment.
She calls on the Ministry of Health to take emergency action to keep hospitals open and ensure patients can still get treatment. Critics argue that this email shows Nancy Mwangangi and SHA leadership have known about the crisis for months but failed to inform the public or take quicker steps to fix the problem.
The situation escalated when a journalist from Nation Media Group asked Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale about the unpaid claims during a press conference on August 8, 2025. Instead of addressing the issue, CS Duale told the journalists to open their own hospitals if they wanted to be part of SHA. This response was seen as dismissive and arrogant by many media professionals.
CS Duale also admitted that a recent audit found fraud involving some healthcare providers across several counties. Some health facilities have been suspended as part of the investigation. While this effort aims to fight corruption, it has also made it more difficult for patients to access medical care.
The whole scandal raises serious doubts about whether SHA under Nancy Mwangangi can fulfill its promise to provide affordable and quality healthcare for all Kenyans. Many people are calling on the government to quickly clear the unpaid bills, fix the management issues, and restore public trust in the health system.
