Mosiria calls for independent investigations into SHA over patient complaints
By Trizer Lijondo, August 19, 2026Nairobi County Chief Officer for Citizen Engagement and Customer Service Geoffrey Mosiria has called on President William Ruto to commission an independent investigation into the implementation of the Social Health Authority (SHA), following concerns raised by patients seeking treatment in public hospitals.
Mosiria made the call in response to President Ruto’s address at the Kenya Health Summit on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, where the president highlighted progress made under SHA and defended the government’s health reforms.
While acknowledging the intention behind SHA, Mosiria said Kenyans need an accurate picture of how the system is performing on the ground, rather than relying only on reports from officials involved in its implementation.
Mosiria demands answers on SHA
“Mr. President, Kenyans need to tell you the truth about what is happening on the ground with the Social Health Authority (SHA),” Mosiria said in a statement posted on X late on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
He raised concerns over reports that patients referred from Level 4 facilities to Level 5 and Level 6 hospitals because of serious medical conditions are sometimes asked to make cash payments before admission despite being covered by SHA.
According to Mosiria, such complaints raise questions about whether patients are receiving the healthcare benefits promised under the new system.
He also pointed to cases where technical or administrative problems affecting the SHA system could leave patients unable to access treatment unless they pay cash.
Mosiria argued that a technical failure should not become a reason for a sick patient to delay or miss urgent medical care.
The Nairobi official further called for investigations into allegations that some hospitals could be submitting claims to SHA while simultaneously demanding additional payments from patients for services they believe should already be covered.
He said such claims should be independently examined and supported by evidence before conclusions are reached.
Mosiria also urged scrutiny of the SHA claims and payment system, including possible fraud, abuse and conflicts of interest. He said concerns surrounding the management of health funds should be addressed transparently to protect both patients and public resources.
He wants the proposed assessment to establish whether hospitals are demanding cash for covered services, whether facilities are submitting claims while charging patients separately and whether SHA reimbursements are reaching hospitals on time.
Kenyans want SHA working
Mosiria also called for patients, doctors, nurses, hospital administrators and independent healthcare experts to participate in the assessment.
He said the investigation should ultimately establish whether ordinary Kenyans are experiencing SHA differently from officials and other groups.
“If SHA is being sabotaged or poorly implemented, those responsible should be identified and held accountable,” Mosiria said.
He added that if the problems are caused by weaknesses within the system, those weaknesses should be corrected.
“Kenyans do not want SHA to fail. They want it to work,” he said.
His call comes as the government continues promoting SHA as a major step towards universal healthcare, while patients and healthcare workers continue raising questions about its implementation.