Ichungw'ah leads charge against Health Ministry over failing SHA system

Mulei, who was arrested for storming a Ministry boardroom to protest persistent technical malfunctions in SHA, has become a symbol of public frustration with the new health insurance platform. Lawmakers demanded clarity on who ordered her arrest and why the government is prioritizing punitive measures over system improvements.

During a heated session with Ministry and SHA officials, Ichung’wah pressed the Health Permanent Secretary (PS) for answers, asking whether the arrest was initiated by SHA, the Ministry, or the police acting independently.

"Who was the complainant for this lady to be arrested? Was it SHA? Was it the Ministry? Or was it the police acting on their own volition?" Ichung’wah questioned, adding that Mulei’s Ksh 50,000 police bond raised further doubts about the case’s legitimacy.

Beyond Mulei’s arrest, the session also exposed broader concerns over SHA’s mismanagement and poor communication with the public. Lawmakers criticized the Ministry for failing to inform Kenyans about ongoing system failures, which have disrupted access to healthcare services.

"Systems will always have errors, but how you communicate and resolve them is what matters. Kenyatta National Hospital admitted there was a system failure—why wasn’t this addressed publicly?" Ichung’wah asked.

He also challenged SHA’s ability to function independently, arguing that its communication strategy was "shambolic" and overly reliant on the Ministry. Lawmakers questioned whether SHA, a supposedly semi-autonomous body, was being overshadowed by Ministry interference.

"When we created SHA, we did not intend for the Ministry to run it. The authority must prove it has the capacity to manage its own affairs," Ichung’wah asserted.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has decided to withdraw its case against Grace Mulei.