Kenya’s healthcare sector has been placed at the center of a scandal that exposes the ugly side of Aden Duale’s leadership at the Ministry of Health.
The Social Health Authority, which was created in 2023 to replace the tainted NHIF, was meant to fix corruption and inefficiency. Instead, it has turned into a channel for theft of public money under Duale’s watch.
Billions meant to serve ordinary Kenyans are being lost every month, while hospitals across the country struggle with shortages of drugs, staff strikes, and patients being turned away.
The kind of stealing of public resources Duale is facilitating in SHA is mind boggling.
Investigations have shown how ghost hospitals and shady facilities without capacity have been registered to siphon millions.
Single-room store fronts with no proper equipment or even chairs are classified as Level 3 hospitals and paid millions every month. In Mandera, Jabii Nursing Home was allocated over five million shillings in June 2025 even though no such hospital exists.
Belgorod Medicare, another so-called hospital in Elwak, is nothing more than a single-room structure, yet it pocketed nearly three million shillings in April alone. These cases are not isolated, they represent a pattern of organized looting.
Anwar Saddat, one of the few bold voices on X, has been sharing evidence of this rot and pointing out how Kenyans are being robbed in broad daylight.
He has shown how Duale’s ministry allows ghost hospitals to thrive while genuine hospitals suffer because of delayed payments.
This deliberate negligence has seen even mothers and children turned away in public facilities because the government refuses to settle pending claims.
Instead of dealing with this corruption, Duale prefers to parade himself as a reformer, quoting verses from the Quran at every opportunity.
As Saddat sharply observed, at the end of each day Duale will come out to recite scripture, as if giving thanks to Allah for enabling them to steal money meant for the sick.
Ruto has corrupted even Islam, using religion as a cover while his officials plunder public resources.
The suspension of a few hospitals for fraud is nothing but a public relations stunt. Over 1,400 private hospitals have already been shut down, but this has not stopped the theft. In fact, the same names keep reappearing, with facilities linked to politicians and powerful families continuing to draw millions from SHA.
Duale himself arrogantly dismissed journalists who questioned him about the failures, telling them to open health centers if they were so concerned. Such reckless arrogance shows how deep the rot runs.
Kenya’s universal health coverage dream is collapsing because the man in charge is more focused on shielding cartels than serving citizens. Billions are allocated in every budget for healthcare, yet the money disappears into pockets of thieves who operate with Duale’s blessing.
What should be a lifeline for the poor has become a cash cow for corrupt leaders. Unless real accountability is enforced, SHA will end up worse than NHIF, and Kenyans will continue to die while Aden Duale and his allies enjoy the spoils of stolen healthcare money.
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