Why SHA CEO Elijah Wachira Was Suspended

NAIROBI, Kenya — The Social Health Authority (SHA) board suspended CEO Elijah Wachira following concerns about his management during the transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the new SHA model.

The board has appointed Robert Ingasira, SHA’s Director of Financial Services, as acting CEO to lead the authority through the tumultuous period.

The decision, made at a board meeting on Tuesday, comes amid mounting criticisms about SHA’s handling of resources and payments to healthcare facilities.

According to meeting minutes obtained by the Star, the board cited Wachira’s alleged failure to prioritize settling bills at public hospitals, which has left many patients with mounting out-of-pocket expenses.

This prioritization of private hospitals over public facilities, the board says, diverges from SHA’s mandate to improve access to healthcare for all Kenyans under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goal.

A key sticking point is the management of SHA’s Sh19 billion pending bills. Although 50 percent of these bills were reportedly cleared within one month, the board claims that Sh1.6 billion was diverted under Wachira’s tenure, hampering payments to public hospitals and risking service disruptions.

“It is concerning when the leadership takes actions that put the delivery of healthcare services at risk despite efforts to resolve debt obligations,” the board remarked.

Wachira has denied all accusations, stating he was unaware of any misappropriated funds.

He also denied allegations regarding preferential payments, claiming he prioritized SHA’s objectives since his appointment last October.

Neither Wachira nor SHA board chairman Abdi Mohamed responded immediately to the Star’s requests for further comment.

Wachira’s suspension is the second leadership shakeup for SHA, following the removal of former board chair Dr. Timothy Olweny shortly before SHA’s official launch.

SHA has faced scrutiny since its inception, with recent analyses indicating a trend in which private healthcare facilities continue to make more claims than their public counterparts.

In September alone, private facilities lodged claims worth Sh1.2 billion, narrowly surpassing public facilities, which filed claims totaling Sh1.1 billion.

Since SHA’s launch, approximately 4,583 government hospitals and 2,500 private and 548 faith-based facilities have joined the network.

However, data shows that private facilities continue to receive the majority of service authorizations, sparking debate over whether SHA is effectively addressing disparities in healthcare access.