NAIROBI, Kenya — The Social Health Authority (SHA) has dismissed allegations of skewed recruitment, saying its hiring processes are transparent, merit-based, and fully compliant with constitutional requirements on diversity and inclusion.
In recent weeks, the state-owned health insurance scheme has faced accusations that its leadership favoured individuals from a particular community in staff recruitment, with some claims linking the alleged bias to the community of Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale.
In a statement issued on Saturday, January 24, SHA rejected the claims, describing them as misinformation and reaffirming its commitment to fair and inclusive employment practices.
“The Social Health Authority wishes to provide clarity and reaffirm its unwavering commitment to a transparent, inclusive and merit-based recruitment process,” the agency said.
“As we build the workforce necessary to deliver affordable, accessible and quality healthcare to all Kenyans, we remain guided strictly by constitutional values and the Social Health Insurance Act.”
SHA said it is currently undertaking a large-scale recruitment drive to support the rollout of the new social health insurance framework, with plans to onboard 815 officers across key professional cadres.
So far, 144 officers have been hired, representing about 17pc of the required workforce. The authority said further recruitment phases will be conducted in the coming weeks to ensure staffing aligns with national health priorities.
“In strict adherence to the Constitution of Kenya and the National Cohesion and Integration Act, the Authority has taken deliberate steps to ensure that its workforce reflects the rich diversity of the Kenyan population,” SHA said.
According to the agency, the officers recruited so far come from 24 different ethnic communities across the country, a move it says ensures genuine national representation within the institution.
SHA also said it has exceeded the constitutional threshold for the employment of persons with disabilities.
“The Authority has not only met but surpassed the national 5pc employment requirement for Persons with Disabilities. Qualified individuals with disabilities have been integrated into varied roles across our structure,” the statement said.
The authority urged the public to rely on official communication channels for accurate information on recruitment and staffing.
“We urge the public to disregard incomplete information circulated to fuel misleading narratives. The Authority remains committed to transparency and will continue publishing all shortlists and appointments through official channels,” it added.
SHA was rolled out in October 2024 to replace the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), which had operated for more than five decades.
President William Ruto said the new scheme was designed to seal loopholes previously exploited through fraudulent claims and improve access to healthcare.
Since its launch, SHA has registered more than 20 million beneficiaries.
Official data shows over Sh6.8 billion has been disbursed to health facilities for verified claims, benefiting more than 4.5 million Kenyans nationwide.
