RUPHA boss explains why they have not resumed SHA services
The chairperson of the Rural Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA), Brian Lishenga, has said members will not resume offering SHA until all outstanding payments are cleared and operational issues addressed.
In an interview on a local TV station on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, Lishenga highlighted delayed payments by the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to now SHA, mass verification rejections, and disparaging utterances from Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale as key reasons for their continued withdrawal.
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“We have not refused to verify claims. But when you verify and still get mass rejections, it becomes frustrating. Hospitals cannot keep operating like that,” he stated.
“If the DCI has investigated hospitals, let them publish the results. But do not make broad accusations and keep everyone in limbo. Pay verified claims. Settle the historical debts. Respect providers. Only then can we talk about resuming services under SHA.”
According to the RUPHA boss, the government owes billions in pending bills, not only to private facilities but also to major public hospitals.
Also watch: Private hospitals warn of December shutdown over NHIF debts.
Lishenga argues that accusations of fraud against hospitals are misleading and are hurting both healthcare workers and patients.
“Every time we ask for a payment, we are called cartels or thieves. That Ksh30 billion the Cabinet Secretary keeps referring to, almost 10 per cent of it is owed to public hospitals like Kenyatta National Hospital, Coast General, and Nakuru County. Is he saying they are also thieves?” he posed.
Additionally, RUPHA expressed disappointment in the Ministry of Health, accusing Duale of painting all providers with the same brush.
“He insults hospitals every time he speaks. This constant name-calling is eroding trust in the health system. How can a patient believe a doctor who has been labelled a cartel by the government?” he asked.
Earlier, Lishenga accused Duale of undermining Social Health Authority leadership by micromanaging the institution and sidelining its executives.
Lishenga said many of the amounts owed are relatively small, between Ksh100,000 and Ksh1 million per facility, but are crucial for small rural clinics.
“These facilities run on tight budgets. Some have just one nurse or one clinical officer. That Ksh300,000 is what keeps the doors open,” he said.
Elsewhere, the Chairperson of the National Assembly Health Committee, James Nyikal, has raised serious concerns over systemic failures and financial irregularities in the SHA programme, following site visits to public and private healthcare facilities.
Concerns over SHA transparency
Besides pushing for payments of pending bills, RUPHA has also raised concerns over lack of clarity and transparency in the SHA verification process.
He claims hospitals were told to resubmit claims within 14 days, but many still cannot access the necessary system functions.
“When we said we would not reopen, they said, ‘Just resubmit your claims.’ But most hospitals cannot even see the resubmit button,” Lishenga revealed.
At the same time, RUPHA called on the SHA Dispute Tribunal to act faster and more transparently.
“There are facilities with pending claim disputes just sitting there. If someone is culpable, make it public. Let them appeal, yes, but do not punish all providers by stalling,” he appealed.
