The Social Health Authority (SHA) has restored its hospital payments list on its official website following intense public scrutiny over the transparency of healthcare facility funding allocations across the country.
The hospital payments list had temporarily been removed from the SHA website, leading to backlash from Kenyans.
In response, on Tuesday, August 26, SHA restored the list and directed the public to access verified payment data through its official portal at sha.go.ke/resources.
The move comes amid heavy backlash from Kenyans, with reports indicating that SHA had made a payment to ghost facilities.
The payment list, previously available for public review and oversight, went offline Monday night, shortly after Health CS Aden Duale released an official response addressing claims of fraudulent activities within the SHA system.
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Public scrutiny intensified after online discussions highlighted significant funding disparities between different regions and healthcare providers.
One particular case that drew attention involved allegations of preferential treatment in payment allocations, with social media users linking some SHA officials to hospitals in question.
One user posted, "Ladnan hospital Wajr received 66m from Sha. It's owned by Abdul Mohamed, the Sha chairman. Sha is a scam!" with accompanying images showing what appeared to be a modest healthcare facility.
Social media users further highlighted more discrepancies in the allocation criteria after a local media house visited one Nyandiwa Healthcare centre that was allocated Ksh20 million and found it non-operational.
"That is a surprise, breaking news to me. That is very, that is so concerning. How is it working? How is it funded? For what? When we talk about funds, we don't expect to come and see the cash; we expect to see the hospital working. So this is a waste project," said one resident after he was questioned over the healthcare services at Nyandiwa Centre.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale had previously addressed some of these concerns, refuting claims that SHA was making payments to non-operational healthcare facilities.
On Monday, Duale clarified that his ministry was aware of issues with certain facilities through official regulatory channels.
The controversy also prompted clarifications from private healthcare providers regarding their ownership structures. Metro Group PLC recently issued a statement addressing reports linking one of its facilities to SHA leadership.
"Ladnan Hospital Limited in Pangani is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Metropolitan Hospital Holdings Limited, which is wholly-owned by TMG. TMG is a public unlisted company with over 500 shareholders," the statement read.
The group confirmed that while SHA Chairperson Dr. Abdi Mohamed had previously been associated with the facility, he had divested his entire shareholding in Metropolitan Hospital Holdings Limited the previous year, eliminating any current ownership ties.
