Willis Otieno faults Ruto over SHA failure and endless medical fundraisers
By Ascah Mwango, September 6, 2025Lawyer and political commentator Willis Otieno has blamed President William Ruto for the failure of the Social Health Authority (SHA) to deliver affordable healthcare.
In a statement shared via his X account on Saturday, September 6, 2025, Otieno said Kenyans are still being forced to fundraise for treatment despite government claims that the program is working.
He pointed out that, despite repeated claims from the government that the SHA program is operational and effective, ordinary citizens continue to struggle to access basic medical services.
“We’re here raising millions for a child’s medical care while Ruto, Duale and the rest of the government bloggers keep shouting that SHA is working. If it were truly working, Kenyans wouldn’t be forced to beg for treatment,” Otieno said.
Also watch: Willis Otieno demands answers over missing Ksh40M SHA funds
The lawyer was reacting to Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, who had joined a fundraiser for a young girl named Naswa.
“I’m impressed by the efforts to raise 1.2 million for Naswa’s medical expenses! I’m contributing 300k. Let’s come together to make a difference!” Sudi posted on his X account.
SHA challenges
The authority was established in 2024 to replace the troubled National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), which was disbanded after years of corruption and mismanagement. However, within months of its launch, SHA became embroiled in similar scandals. In March this year, the agency disbursed Ksh11.4 billion to hospitals across the country.
Investigations later revealed that some small facilities had received disproportionately large sums, with reports of ghost hospitals, duplicate claims and inflated patient numbers.
Also watch: Willis Otieno calls out grand heist in the health sector
By August 2025, 40 hospitals and 12 medical practitioners had been suspended following a forensic audit. Further investigations have since raised the tally of facilities under probe to 85, with more than Ksh3 billion in questionable claims.
Civil society groups and opposition leaders have called for the resignation of Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and SHA Chief Executive Mercy Mwangangi, accusing them of presiding over a scheme that has drained billions of shillings.
Despite the scandals, President Ruto has consistently defended the program. In several public forums, he has argued that SHA is transforming healthcare access, insisting that the system will work even if it takes time. He has repeatedly pointed to millions of Kenyans already registered and billions in bills paid.