Duale fires back at Maraga over SHA scam
By David Nthua, August 27, 2025Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Aden Duale has come out guns blazing to slam former Chief Justice David Maraga.
Through a post on his official X account on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, Duale regretted that the former CJ had resorted to what he termed as “sensationalism” in linking the Ministry of Health and the Social Health Authority (SHA) to ghost hospitals and website manipulation.
“It is unfortunate that a respected former Chief Justice who has dedicated his life to interpreting the law has resorted to sensationalism by falsely claiming that the Social Health Authority (SHA) pulled down its payment list,” Duale said.
“This is misleading and aimed at causing unnecessary panic.”
The CS insisted that SHA had not pulled down its payments portal, noting that the authority continues to publish data on disbursements to health facilities “as part of its firm commitment to transparency and the fight against fraud.”
He further clarified that the mandate of registering health facilities rests with the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) and not the SHA.
“For clarity, it is the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), not SHA or MoH, that is legally mandated to keep the official register of health facilities. This register is publicly accessible,” he added.
Duale urged Kenyans to be vigilant and seek accurate information, stressing that SHA remains focused on delivering affordable healthcare free from fraud.
Maraga insists on a forensic audit
His response followed an earlier hard-hitting statement by Maraga, who accused state officials of presiding over “systemic failures” that allowed billions of taxpayer funds to be siphoned to ghost hospitals while ordinary Kenyans continue to suffer.
“The betrayal of the Kenyan people by those entrusted to safeguard their health will no longer be tolerated. Those who have colluded to defraud the nation, regardless of title or office, must face the full force of the law,” Maraga said.
Maraga further demanded an independent forensic audit of SHA to trace all funds under the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), the Primary Care Fund, and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund (ECCIF).
“The Kenyan people deserve to know where their money has gone and who has benefited,” he insisted.