Kacheliba Member of Parliament Titus Lotee has called on Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale to take decisive action against senior officials linked to the Social Health Authority fraud case.
Lotee said that unless those responsible are arrested and prosecuted, the country could be heading down the same path that led to the collapse of the National Hospital Insurance Fund.
He reminded the government that Kenyans had welcomed the creation of SHA with the hope that it would correct past mistakes, but the latest revelations have raised fresh fears about accountability in the health sector.
The lawmaker was speaking on Monday, August 26, when he urged CS Duale to move beyond statements and direct the immediate arrest of those mentioned in the multi-billion-shilling scandal.
According to Lotee, firm action is the only way to assure Kenyans that corruption will not be tolerated in a system meant to provide affordable healthcare.
He added that people in rural areas, who already face challenges accessing hospitals, will suffer the most if funds meant for their care continue to be stolen.
His remarks followed CS Duale’s disclosure that health claims worth Ksh5.1 billion are currently under review by investigators.
Another Ksh10 billion has already been flagged and rejected after it was found that the claims were based on falsified records, inflated billing, and charges for patients who did not exist.
Lotee noted that such figures show the scale of the rot inside SHA and insisted that officials behind the fraudulent schemes should not remain in office while investigations continue.
The fraud reports have also triggered concern after questions were raised about possible connections between SHA leadership and some hospitals receiving large sums of money. CS Duale dismissed these concerns as non-conflicting, saying there is no evidence that board members personally benefited.
Still, critics argue that dismissing the concerns without full transparency may weaken public confidence.
At least twelve senior health officials and several hospitals have already been lined up for investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
Lotee, however, warned that investigations alone are not enough, stressing that arrests and prosecutions must follow if Kenyans are to believe the government is serious about reforms.
He said that it is unacceptable for officials to misuse billions of shillings when many hospitals lack basic supplies, leaving ordinary Kenyans to bear the cost of corruption.
The legislator concluded by urging CS Duale to take bold action and prove that SHA will not fall into the same trap as NHIF. He insisted that only firm measures, including arrests, will restore trust and protect public funds from being looted.
