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.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya

Private hospitals across the country have announced that patients under the Social Health Authority (SHA) will now be required to pay in cash.

This, they said, is due to unpaid claims that have left many facilities unable to function normally.

The Rural and Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA) issued the directive through a notice on Monday, September 22.

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In a statement by Secretary General Brian Lishenga, the group explained that the measure was necessary to keep hospitals running and ensure patients continue receiving care.

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RUPHA said the decision was made reluctantly, stressing that hospitals were facing severe strain due to delayed reimbursements.

Lishenga warned that private facilities risk collapse if the government fails to settle outstanding bills.

He described the situation as a looming disaster, saying that the very foundation of Kenya’s healthcare system could collapse under the weight of pending claims.

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The private hospitrals also took issue with Health CS Aden Duale, whom they said often call hospitals fraudsters when they push to get their SHA money.

Lishenga termed Duale as ungrateful, saying private hospitals were helping him achieve his mandate in the health ministry.

The private hospitals claim throws new scrutiny on the reforms that replaced the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) with SHA in October 2024.

The new scheme was intended to make healthcare access more efficient and universal. However, providers complain that claim approvals are painfully slow and arrears continue to build up.

Source: TUKO.co.ke