President Ruto Challenges Dr Gikonyo Over SHA Hospital Reimbursement Claims

During the 2026 National Health Summit at Kenyatta International Convention Centre, President William Ruto publicly questioned cardiologist Dr Dan Gikonyo's allegations that the Social Health Authority (SHA) has failed to reimburse hospitals for services rendered.

The concerns were brought to the president's attention by Nairobi woman representative Esther Passaris, who conveyed a message from Dr Gikonyo, proprietor of The Karen Hospital. The cardiologist claimed that many accredited hospitals, including his own, had not received due payments from SHA.

President Ruto dismissed these as broad, unverified accusations and urged for specific details. He requested Passaris to connect him directly with Dr Gikonyo for clarity. When the cardiologist did not respond to a call placed during the summit, Ruto directed SHA CEO Mercy Mwangangi to present live reimbursement data for The Karen Hospital.

Mercy Mwangangi revealed that since SHA's inception, The Karen Hospital submitted claims totaling KSh 302.6 million. Of this, SHA has reimbursed approximately 66.5%, amounting to KSh 201.5 million. A small portion, about 3%, was rejected, and KSh 40.3 million was returned to the hospital for additional documentation. The remaining KSh 51 million remains unpaid pending submission of the required paperwork.

Using this data, President Ruto emphasized the importance of accuracy and transparency in public discussions, urging Dr Gikonyo to be truthful in his statements about SHA's performance.

Context on SHA and Health Financing Reforms

The summit aimed to assess Kenya's health financing progress following the introduction of the Social Health Authority, which replaced the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). Despite the reforms, some medical practitioners have raised concerns about delays in reimbursements under the new system.