Justin Muturi has revealed that he had warned against the implementation of the Social Health Authority (SHA) system, a project spearheaded by Safaricom and its partners.
His warning was ignored, and now Kenyans are dealing with a questionable scheme where billions of shillings are funneled into an escrow account controlled by private entities instead of the government.
This exposes a deeper rot in how public funds are handled, with Safaricom at the center of yet another controversial deal that raises serious concerns about corruption and financial mismanagement.
The SHA system was supposedly designed to improve healthcare services, but in reality, it appears to be a well-orchestrated scheme to siphon funds from ordinary Kenyans.
The fact that the money from the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) is being deposited in a secret account controlled by Safaricom, Konvergenz Solutions, and Apeiro Limited instead of going directly into government accounts raises red flags.
This arrangement conveniently allows the private companies involved to control billions with little oversight, making it easier for funds to disappear without accountability.
Muturi, who was Attorney General when the deal was being structured, had advised caution. He specifically pointed out that the Public Finance Management Act requires that all government-collected funds be deposited in the Consolidated Fund, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Instead, the Ministry of Health and its partners went ahead with a system that effectively bypasses the government’s financial safeguards.
This deliberate move suggests that those behind the project knew exactly what they were doing creating a loophole to siphon money while hiding behind the excuse of improving healthcare.The involvement of Safaricom in this scandal is not surprising.
The telecommunications giant has a long history of securing lucrative government deals that often end up raising ethical concerns.
In this case, Safaricom is set to walk away with at least 21 billion shillings from the SHA system, while Apeiro and Konvergenz will pocket even more.
The government, on the other hand, is left with little control over the funds meant for healthcare services.
This is yet another example of how Safaricom, through its deep political connections, continues to exploit government contracts for massive profits at the expense of taxpayers.
To make matters worse, the SHA scheme is already affecting ordinary Kenyans. There is confusion over how funds are collected, with employers being forced to remit contributions into specific banks chosen by the SHA board without clear explanations.
Kenyans are being forced into a health system that is riddled with secrecy, mismanagement, and outright fraud.
Even President William Ruto’s directive that all government payments be channeled through a single pay point was ignored, further proving that this scheme operates outside normal government oversight.
This scandal raises critical questions. Why was a private consortium allowed to control public funds? Who is benefiting from this arrangement? Why did the government disregard warnings from Muturi and proceed with a system that clearly violates financial regulations?
These questions need urgent answers, but knowing how such scandals are handled in Kenya, it is likely that no real action will be taken.
The billions flowing into this secret account will continue to be mismanaged, while ordinary Kenyans are left struggling with an unreliable healthcare system.
The SHA system is proving to be a massive fraud disguised as a public health initiative. Kenyans must demand accountability before this turns into another major financial scandal where billions are lost and no one is held responsible.
Safaricom and its partners should not be allowed to profit from public funds under the guise of running a healthcare system.
The government must take immediate action to dismantle this scheme and ensure that healthcare funds are properly managed for the benefit of all Kenyans.
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