Maraga: Those who steal money meant for healthcare are simply murderers
Former Chief Justice David Maraga has condemned the rampant corruption in Kenya’s health sector, warning that officials who divert funds meant for medical services are directly responsible for the deaths of patients.
In a statement on Sunday, September 7, 2025, Maraga said it was shameful that payments were being made to the wrong people while patients continued to suffer in hospitals without adequate treatment or medication.
You might also like
“Healthcare has been in the media for the last few days, unfortunately, for the wrong reasons. Payments are being made to the wrong people when there are patients suffering in hospitals. These are shameful things that we should get rid of, and sometimes you get surprised that the authorities concerned are not taking the right action,” he said.
Also watch: Maraga calls for forensic audit of SHA over graft queries
Maraga stressed that misappropriation of healthcare funds has fatal consequences, especially for diseases like malaria, which are easily treatable but still claim lives due to a lack of medicine.
“When you take money meant for medication, you know diseases like malaria kill, and malaria is treatable. But when you find someone dies of it, for me, those who have taken money meant to give that service are simply murderers,” he declared.
SHA defended
His remarks come a few days after President William Ruto had flatly rejected claims that the Social Health Authority (SHA) paid ghost hospitals in its latest disbursements.
Speaking at State House on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, where he met with a section of Kiambu grassroots leaders, Ruto insisted that the ongoing digitisation of the health fund is specifically designed to unmask and stop fraud in the sector.
The Head of State defended the SHA platform, noting that it is already detecting irregularities that plagued the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
“The digitisation process of SHA is what is enabling us to detect all the fraudulent claims, all the ghost hospitals.”
“Ile wizi iliangusha NHIF mpaka kukakua na madeni ya mabilioni thelathini, haiwezi ikafanyika kwa SHA.”
Also watch: Maraga defends remarks on SHA scandal
“We will make sure the digital system will detect all fraudulent claims, ghost hospitals, and ghost patients that are attempting to engage in fraud,” Ruto said.
According to him, the digital safeguards being put in place mark a radical departure from NHIF’s poor record, which saw ballooning debts and widespread public mistrust.
