Borabu MP: Ruto shielding Duale from graft probe
Borabu Member of Parliament Nolfason Barongo has accused President William Ruto of failing the integrity test in the fight against corruption, claiming that his close allies are being protected from scrutiny.
Speaking at a local TV station on Thursday, August 28, 2025, Barongo said if the Head of State were genuinely committed to fighting graft, he would have demanded Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale step aside following allegations of mismanagement and misuse of public resources in his docket.
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“Iwapo Rais Ruto angekuwa na msimamo mkali wa kupambana na ufisadi, angemwambia Waziri Duale kuwa kutokana na ubadhirifu wa mali ya umma, asonge kando ili uchunguzi ufanywe. Lakini kwa sababu Duale ni rafiki yake, hakutakuwa na chochote,” Barongo said.
His remarks come a day after Duale defended the Social Health Authority (SHA) against claims made by a section of Members of Parliament.
Duale
Duale dismissed the MPs’ concerns over the legality, cost, and transparency of SHA operations, describing them as misleading claims and factual inaccuracies.
In a statement on Thursday, August 28, 2025, the CS accused them of peddling misinformation and seeking to derail reforms in the health sector.
“It is shocking and deeply concerning that Members of Parliament would question the very existence of an Authority established by a law they themselves passed. SHA was created under the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023, which was debated, passed, and signed into law,” he said.
“The role of Parliament is to make law. The role of the Executive, which I lead in the health sector, is to implement those laws. The establishment and operationalisation of SHA is a direct implementation of the will of the people of Kenya, as expressed through their elected representatives in Parliament. To now disavow this process is to disavow their own legislative mandate.”
Duale defended the Integrated Healthcare Information Technology System (IHITS), which links key health players, including SHA, KEMSA, and the Pharmacy and Poisons Board.
He stated that the SHA ICT system is crucial in managing contributions, claims, and fraud detection.
Duale contrasted the new system with the defunct NHIF, which he described as an infamous haven for corruption, fraud, and abuse.
Citing parliamentary reports, EACC findings, and auditor-general reviews, he said NHIF had been the epicentre of fraud, plagued by weak security, outdated technology, and opaque payment systems.
“To suggest we revert to that system is not merely misguided; it is a direct advocacy for a return to the looting of public funds. This is not a heist; it is a revolution in accountability,” he said.
