President William Ruto has dismissed claims by Kakamega Catholic Bishop Joseph Obanyi that St. Mary’s Hospital in Mumias had received only Ksh9 million from the Social Health Authority (SHA) over the past 10 months.
Speaking during a Teachers’ Forum at State House on September 13, the Head of State said he personally followed up on the matter with Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale after the bishop raised concerns that the hospital had not received its due payments.
“Bishop said that SHA is not working, that they had only been paid Ksh9 million. I decided to take action and requested data from the authority. Upon review, it was confirmed that St. Mary’s had actually received Ksh98 million. We even confirmed with their bank manager, and indeed, the funds had been received,” Ruto said.
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According to the president, Bishop Obanyi later admitted that he had been misled by the hospital’s management, who had allegedly defrauded the institution.
“The bishop said, I am sorry, I was misled,” Ruto added.
Earlier, Bishop Obanyi had challenged Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s claim that St. Mary’s received Ksh82 million from SHA, insisting that the Catholic-run hospital only received Ksh9 million.
He further stated that delayed government health scheme payments had left the institution drowning in debt, forcing it to shut down after 117 years of service.
“It’s a mission hospital that serves the poor. We cannot make politics out of the suffering of ordinary people,” the bishop said at the time.
Ruto Promises Action on SHA Fraud
President Ruto has now vowed to intensify the government’s fight against fraudsters targeting SHA, warning that fraudulent billing in public and private facilities was draining funds meant for universal health coverage.
“We will deal firmly with crooks who divert money meant for patients,” the president declared, emphasizing that health was a constitutional right.
He cited a recent case in Kinoo where a facility was flagged for filing claims for procedures that never took place, as well as duplicate operations. According to Ruto, such cases point to a wider web of malpractice under investigation.
The president’s remarks come as SHA faces growing scrutiny over systemic fraud, with questions mounting over accountability in the government’s flagship health reform.
Health CS Aden Duale recently handed over 1,188 case files to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), terming them as evidence of widespread abuse within the system.