MPs slam Health Ministry, SHA over delays in service delivery

Lawmakers have raised concerns over delays in service delivery and limited access to healthcare in their constituencies, demanding clarification from the Ministry of Health and the Social Health Authority (SHA).

The MPs, speaking during a retreat in Naivasha, called on the Ministry to address inefficiencies in the SHA programme, which has registered 18 million people but failed to ensure that many can access services.

Mandera North MP Bashir Abdullahi demanded answers to the challenges faced by the pastoralist community in accessing healthcare services.

“On pre-primary healthcare, what strategies do you have to ensure the pastoralist community is not left behind in registration and access to healthcare?” he posed.

Seme MP James Nyikal questioned the efficacy of the programme, saying, “There are 18 million people registered and they know they are registered, so they should be able to access services, but that is not the case. The Ministry needs to act on this.”

Teso South MP Mary Emaase stressed the need for clearer communication from the Ministry, urging, “The Ministry needs to communicate clearly. We need to know exactly what SHA covers.”

Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula noted that the major issues raised during the session were poor public communication and inadequate service delivery under the SHA programme.

Poor communication

“Based on the discussions, there are two major issues with SHA: Poor public communication and inadequate service delivery,” Wetangula said.

He directed the Chairperson of the Health Committee, Robert Pukose, to meet with the Ministry of Health and SHA officials next week.

Pukose was tasked with receiving a comprehensive response from the Ministry and SHA, which will be presented to the House when Parliament resumes its sittings on February 11, 2025.

“I hereby direct the Chairperson, Departmental Committee on Health, Robert Pukose, to get a transcribed Hansard report on all issues raised by Members of Parliament and hold a meeting with the Ministry/SHA management next week,” he said.

“He will issue a comprehensive report on the floor of the House on February 11, 2025, as the House resumes. We need to know how to address the challenges.”

Wetangula emphasised that the discussion was not just about identifying issues but also finding solutions.

“We called for improved outreach strategies, transparency in implementation, and greater accountability to ensure that no Kenyan is left behind,” he said.

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SHA Chairman Abdi Mohamed reported that 18,510,650 Kenyans have been registered under the scheme, with the highest registration among those aged 18-35, representing 4.83 million people.

The lowest registration was among those aged above 55, accounting for 2.03 million.

Abdi further revealed that 4,009,460 members have paid for the scheme, covering 3.9 million dependents, with 3.2 million from the formal sector and 876,851 from the informal sector.

He also listed the top five counties with the highest registration numbers with Mombasa leading at 514,936 accounting for 43.2 per cent, Kirinyaga (176,273 or 28.9 per cent), Bomet (240,641 or 27.5 per cent), Elgeyo Marakwet (123,352 or 27.1 per cent, and Embu (161,640 or 26.6 per cent).

Lawmakers reiterated that they have committed to pushing for greater transparency and better execution of the healthcare programme to ensure it effectively serves all Kenyans.