Salasya: There is a deliberate move to kill private hospitals
By Paulette Mboga, August 29, 2025Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya has raised alarm over what he claims is a calculated attempt to cripple private hospitals in the country through the ongoing transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the newly formed Social Health Authority (SHA).
Speaking passionately on social media on Friday, August 29, 2025, Salasya said the shift to SHA was already proving problematic just nine months after its introduction, with hospitals now facing unprecedented financial strain.
“I want to address this issue. I want to say this, there is a deliberate move to kill all the private hospitals in this country, more so the hospitals that have been there for several years,” he remarked.
Billions in pending claims
According to Salasya, NHIF had accumulated pending bills of about Ksh30 billion over several years, a figure that was already burdening hospitals across the country. However, he said the SHA system has worsened the situation, with a staggering Ksh17 billion in claims piling up in less than one year of operation.
“The amount that the pending bills from NHIF was about Ksh30 billion. But since SHA has been in existence for nine months, a whopping Ksh17 billion is the total amount that is being claimed outside,” the MP noted.
Rushed decision
Salasya criticised the government for rushing Kenyans into registering under SHA without adequate planning. He recalled how citizens were first encouraged to sign up for free, only to later be asked to make contributions. According to government reports, as of August 2025, 23 million Kenyans have registered with SHA, but Salasya warned that the model was unsustainable compared to the NHIF system.
He pointed out that while NHIF charged a flat monthly rate of Ksh500, SHA contributions are significantly higher, making it unaffordable for ordinary Kenyans and, in his view, setting the system up for collapse.
Salasya further demanded that Parliament’s Health Committee move with urgency to investigate the ongoing challenges within SHA, arguing that MPs have been left in the dark about crucial decisions being made.
“There are a lot of things that are happening without the knowledge of MPs. We must get out of this thing called SHA,” he said firmly, dismissing the system as poorly designed and detrimental to the country’s healthcare sector.