Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has warned Kenyans of a growing scam involving fraudsters charging unsuspecting citizens for registration into the government’s new Social Health Authority (SHA) scheme, a process that is officially free.
Speaking before the National Assembly on Wednesday, Duale decried the exploitation of information gaps around SHA, noting that low public awareness was fuelling misinformation and fraud. “Public awareness on SHA remains low, and some individuals are exploiting this gap by misleading Kenyans and charging them for registration, which is completely free,” he stated.
The CS further revealed that con artists are manipulating the Means Testing tool, a government system designed to assess an individual’s income to determine their contribution level. Some scammers have been escorting Kenyans through the process only to solicit money, falsely claiming it is part of the official process.
“There is manipulation of the Means Testing tool. There are people who take Kenyans to guide them, then take money from them,” said Duale. “I want to tell Kenyans that registration is free. No one should charge you anything.”
Despite the challenges, Duale reported progress, citing an average of 40,000 new SHA registrations daily, with Central Kenya counties like Nyeri leading the pack in uptake.
Since his appointment to the health docket in March, CS Duale has intensified efforts to clean up the health sector. His warning on the SHA scam comes on the heels of another revelation earlier this week, where he exposed a separate racket involving bogus health practitioners fabricating surgical procedures to siphon funds from national health schemes.
During a meeting with the Council of Governors Health Committee on Monday, Duale stated that the ministry will partner with other agencies to crack down on fraud, insisting that transparency and reform remain top priorities.
“The system is transparent. Kenyans should not be afraid of the reforms. But we will not allow criminal elements to taint the image of this revolutionary program,” Duale affirmed.
As the government rolls out the SHA in full, citizens are advised to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to authorities.