Willis Otieno responds to Mudavadi’s remarks on SHA services
By Aloys Michael, August 31, 2025Lawyer Willis Otieno has strongly criticised Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s recent remarks defending the Social Health Authority (SHA), saying that government officials must move beyond public relations and deliver tangible healthcare solutions to Kenyans.
His comments come amid rising public scrutiny and concern over the management and transparency of SHA funds.
In a statement on his X account on Sunday, August 31, 2025, Otieno pushed back on Mudavadi’s statements, arguing that real-life experiences in public hospitals tell a different story.
“You cannot spin healthcare. Mothers in maternity wards, children in casualty, and patients on dialysis don’t consume press releases,” the statement read.
He added that while the government has touted SHA as a transformative step towards universal health coverage, many Kenyans continue to struggle with inaccessible services, a lack of drugs, and poor infrastructure in public health facilities.
“Policy promises must translate into action at the ward level. What we are seeing is a growing gap between what is being said at the podium and what ordinary citizens are experiencing when they seek care,” Otieno noted.
Critics of the SHA rollout have raised questions about how the funds are being utilised, with some claiming that systems for accountability and service delivery remain weak.
Civil society organisations have also expressed concern over the lack of clear communication to the public on how SHA works, eligibility requirements, and what exactly it covers.
Mudavadi defends SHA
Mudavadi defended the SHA, stating that the newly introduced authority is “designed to provide services to empanelled and contracted healthcare providers and healthcare facilities on referral from primary healthcare.”
The Prime CS further assured the public that “SHA ensures that every resident in Kenya gets a comprehensive range of services without the burden of financial hardship.”
Mudavadi said some hospitals enrolled under the SHA programme were mismanaging their operations and unfairly blaming the Ministry of Health and the government.
“I am here to set the records straight. Those politicians using podiums to say that the government is behind the troubles facing St Mary’s Hospital in Mumias are misleading the people. The hospital submitted a claim of Ksh117 million under the SHA programme. So far, they have received Ksh82 million in payment,” Mudavadi said on Friday, August 28, 2025, during the burial of Malava UDA aspirant Enock Andanje.
He accused unnamed politicians of castigating the programme without facts, insisting that the Ministry of Health had evidence of funds disbursed.
“The government through the Ministry of Health has the records, and I am a witness. I have a copy of the records. If they want to dispute and bring on an argument, I am ready to produce the evidence of what they received in November and December last year and the subsequent payments under the SHA programme,” he explained.
Mudavadi assured Kenyans that the government is continuously looking into shortfalls in the Social Health Authority (SHA) to ensure all Kenyans have access to quality medical care.