NAIROBI, Kenya – Former Chief Justice David Maraga has accused the government of attempting to cover up the loss of millions of shillings disbursed to non-existent health facilities through the Social Health Authority (SHA).
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Maraga said the Kenya Master Health Facility Registry (KMHFR) portal was deliberately taken offline on Monday to conceal alleged irregularities in SHA’s operations.
He called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to urgently investigate the disbursement of public funds through medical claims payments to facilities that, in some cases, do not exist or are non-operational.
“Prior to this, the Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale had assured Kenyans that these ghost facilities were closed in May. Yet there is evidence that public funds continued to be paid to them in June, July, and August,” Maraga said.
The former chief justice, who is eyeing the 2027 presidency, condemned what he described as the brazen and normalized theft of public resources.
“The CS in charge of Health and the management team of SHA should be investigated without delay,” he added.
The allegations come amid mounting public anger over persistent fraud in the government health scheme.
On Monday, SHA removed the public portal where anyone could review monthly claims payments to hospitals, along with the KMHFR, further fuelling criticism.
In response, Health CS Aden Duale dismissed the claims as propaganda and “blackmail” orchestrated by SHA saboteurs through the media.
The controversy has intensified scrutiny on the Health Ministry over the authority’s claims payouts, especially given concerns over high bills, even for low-level hospitals.
