Suspended SHA CEO Elijah Wachira was a marked man during his tenure over multiple malpractices and was a ticking time bomb until President William Ruto Ordered his suspension when he refused to pay pending bills to hospitals and instead opted to pay money owed to only two insurance companies.
Statement from SHA Chairman Mohamed on Tuesday after his dismissal indicated that the board had replaced Wachira with Robert Ingasira, formerly the Financial Services Director.
“This is to inform you of the resolution of the board to send you on compulsory leave effective immediately for 90 days to allow for further investigations into your professional conduct and performance as Acting Chief Executive officer of the Social Health Authority,” read the memo.
However, Mohamed said that while on leave, Wachira will be entitled to all his current remuneration and benefits.
The board partly attributed Wachira’s suspension to the challenges facing the SHA’s transition from the NHIF.
Sources privy to the events at SHA headquarters, say, President Ruto had questioned the delayed settlement of the money owed to hospitals even though it was available only to be told that Wachira had refused to act.
When asked why he had not released Sh1.5 billion as directed by the agency’s board, Wachira said he was waiting for authorization from the Ministry of Health.
But upon inquiry, Ruto was informed by the Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Mulongo that the said letter had indeed been issued two weeks ago.
It was established later that Wachira had paid Sh1.5 billion to the two firms against the directives of the Board.
“The Head of State shocked by the revelations ordered the board to act and suspend the CEO and also open a probe over the matter,” said the source.
Wachira is said to have attempted to prevail upon the two insurance firms to refund the money to no avail.
“Yes, Wachira sought to have the money reimbursed as the matter was being addressed but the firms were hesitant to cooperate,” added the source.
Wachira has been viewed as a saboteur to the recently introduced health scheme even before the money payments emerged.
Wachira is now believed to have not been fully committed to the transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to SHA .
Wachira allegedly made Sh 1.3 billion payments between late last month and last week to some of the SHA and NHIF service providers who were not part of the hospitals that had declined to treat patients until the government cleared the money owed to them as reimbursement.
The Sh 1.3 billion was part of the Sh 3 billion that President William Ruto had announced during the 61st Mashujaa Day celebrations at Kwale Stadium on Sunday, October 20 that the government had released to settle outstanding payments owed to NHIF) and healthcare providers.
Immediately when the money landed in the SHA accounts, Wachira is reported to have embarked on authorizing payments without the knowledge of either the board or its chairman Abdi Mohamed, a matter that seemed to have provided his detractors a platform to send him packing.
SHA leadership had expressed concerns over rising unpaid bills, which have led hospitals to require cash payments from patients, a situation the board says directly contradicts the SHA’s commitment to improving access to healthcare under Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Sources say that in his defence, Wachira is said to have tabled documents indicating the facilities he paid the money and reasons for the payments, but the board still questioned him why he undertook the decision unilaterally.
Procedurally, the CEO is not supposed to make unilateral decisions to make payments of amounts of money exceeding Sh 50 million without either the authority of the board or the chairman’s consent.
Wachira’s actions to sabotage the SHA rollout has made the process too bumpy.
The board is also said to have accused Wachira of allegedly inciting members of the defunct NHIF not to offer services to SHA until the government officially transfer them to the new entity.
An act that prompted President Ruto to assure them during the Mashujaa day that they would be absorbed by SHA.
Some of the challenges are said to have ranged from malfunctioning of the SHA system rollout, outstanding debts owed to healthcare facilities by NHIF, apathy in registration of new members, malfunctioning of Integrated Healthcare Information Technology System (IHTS) and technicalities in the pre-authorizations and haphazard transition.
Wachira’s exit is the second one after its pioneer chairman Dr Timothy Olweny was removed in September.
With no likelihood of comeback after the 90-days compulsory leave, Wachira might face the music of graft and Treason.
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