SHA recovers Sh278m from health facilities over fraud

The Social Health Authority (SHA) has recovered Sh278 million from health facilities implicated in fraud.

Speaking at a Town Hall meeting organised by the Ministry of Health, SHA Chief Executive Officer Mercy Mwangangi said the recovered money came from facilities that owned up and opted to pay back what they had fraudulently claimed, cumulatively amounting to Sh278 million.

She explained that the fraud cases before the Authority are at different stages, with different institutions handling them.

Some cases are currently under investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and remain ongoing. Others are under internal investigation by SHA itself, and could either be resolved through administrative action or forwarded to the DCI.

The remaining cases are with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), where resolution will be reached through alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

"We have these cases, and we are still recovering more money from facilities. Most of the cases under the DCI are ongoing and are yet to be determined," Dr Mwangangi said.

Anthony Lenaiyara, Chief Executive Officer of the Digital Health Authority, moved to clarify widely circulated claims that the SHA system costs Sh104 billion.

"The digital super highway has 43 systems, which are used to provide digitisation across public, faith-based, and private facilities. In those 43 systems, SHA systems are only two. The SHA system pays only Sh25 for any Kenyan covered under SHA, for a year," he said.