Kenya, March 31 -- Nandi County Governor Stephen Sang, a prominent advocate for the Social Health Authority (SHA), organised a fundraiser on Sunday, March 30, 2025, to help a local resident cover mounting medical expenses.
The event, held at a community centre in Kapsabet town, has sparked debate about the efficacy of Kenya's flagship healthcare program, coming just days after Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale hailed SHA as the "best healthcare project in Kenya's history" during a press briefing in Nairobi on March 27.
Governor Sang, who has consistently championed SHA as a transformative step toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC), led the fundraiser to support a Nandi resident identified only as "Jane," a single mother of three battling chronic illness.
According to sources close to the event, Jane's medical bills had ballooned beyond her means, despite her registration with SHA, prompting Sang to rally local leaders, business owners, and residents to contribute.
By the end of the day, the fundraiser had raised over Ksh 300,000, enough to clear Jane's immediate hospital debts and provide temporary relief.
"We cannot stand by while our people suffer," Sang said during the event, addressing a crowd of over 200 attendees.
"This is about community solidarity, but it also shows we must keep pushing to ensure healthcare works for everyone." While Sang avoided directly criticising SHA, his decision to step in personally has fuelled speculation about gaps in the system he has long defended.
The timing of the fundraiser has drawn attention, as it follows closely on the heels of Health CS Aden Duale's robust defence of SHA. Speaking at a healthcare symposium in Nairobi last Thursday, Duale asserted that SHA represents a historic leap forward in Kenya's healthcare landscape.
"This is the best healthcare project in our nation's history," he declared, emphasising the government's commitment to accessible care. He revealed a personal stake in the program, disclosing that he contributes nearly Ksh 50,000 monthly from his own pocket to bolster SHA's funds, ensuring "ordinary Kenyans receive free medical treatment."
Duale's remarks were intended to counter growing criticism of SHA, which replaced the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) in October 2024.
The transition has been marred by complaints of delayed reimbursements to hospitals, bureaucratic hurdles, and instances of patients being turned away or forced to pay out-of-pocket despite enrolment.
Posts on X reflecting public sentiment have been scathing, with one user noting, "If SHA is so great, why is a governor holding medical harambees in Ruto's backyard?"
Sang's fundraiser underscores a paradox in Nandi County, a region firmly within President William Ruto's political stronghold and a testing ground for his administration's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which prioritises UHC.
As the Council of Governors' Chief Whip and a vocal supporter of SHA, Sang has often touted the program's potential to eliminate financial barriers to healthcare. Yet, Jane's case-and others like it-suggests that the reality on the ground may not yet align with the government's ambitious rhetoric.
Local residents at the fundraiser expressed mixed feelings. "We appreciate the governor's help, but shouldn't SHA cover this?" asked Peter Kipchumba, a farmer who contributed Ksh 5,000.
"I pay my SHA contributions, but when my wife needed surgery last month, we still had to borrow money." Another attendee, Grace Cheruiyot, praised Sang's intervention but questioned the system's reliability: "If our leaders are stepping in like this, what's the point of SHA?"
Since its launch, SHA has faced significant challenges. The government has allocated billions- including a recent Ksh 9 billion injection in October 2024-to settle outstanding NHIF debts and support the new authority.
However, private hospitals have protested low reimbursement rates and verification issues, with some suspending SHA services entirely in early 2025. Rural facilities, too, report staffing shortages and equipment deficits that undermine the promise of free, quality care.
Duale has acknowledged these teething problems but insists they are being addressed. "We're committed to a 90-day claims processing timeline and have deployed technical officers to support counties," he said last week, urging patience as SHA stabilises.
His personal financial contributions, he added, reflect his belief in the system's potential to uplift the poor-a point he underscored with a pledge to continue funding until SHA is fully operational.
Sang's fundraiser has amplified calls for accountability from both citizens and opposition figures. Activist Boniface Mwangi, posting on X, seized on the event as evidence of SHA's failure: "The governor of Nandi holding a fundraiser for medical bills is proof Ruto's sham health insurance isn't working. Leaders in his own backyard wouldn't need to do this if it did."
The sentiment echoes broader disillusionment among Kenyans who expected SHA to end the era of medical fundraisers, a common sight in pre-UHC days.
For Sang, the move risks political blowback. As a key ally of President Ruto and a defender of SHA, his actions could be seen as either a pragmatic response to a constituent's plight or a tacit admission of the system's shortcomings.
Neither Sang's office nor the Ministry of Health responded to requests for comment on whether Jane's case reflects broader issues with SHA coverage in Nandi.
As SHA approaches its six-month mark, the Nandi fundraiser serves as a microcosm of the challenges facing Kenya's healthcare overhaul.
While Duale projects confidence and Sang rallies community support, ordinary Kenyans like Jane remain caught in the gap between policy promises and practical outcomes.
With public pressure mounting-evidenced by protests in 2024 and ongoing online criticism-the government faces a critical test: deliver on UHC or risk further eroding trust in a cornerstone of Ruto's legacy.
For now, Jane's bills are paid, but the question lingers: how many more fundraisers will it take before SHA truly transforms healthcare for all?
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.