MARAGA CALLS FOR FORENSIC AUDIT OF SHA

Former Chief Justice David Maraga has issued a powerful call for accountability in Kenya’s health sector, unveiling bold measures aimed at restoring constitutional order and upholding the rule of law. In his address to the nation on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, Maraga condemned the widespread corruption in the Ministry of Health and its regulatory agencies, saying the extent of the rot can no longer be ignored. He highlighted deep-rooted failures that have enabled the loss of billions of shillings in taxpayer funds to non-existent hospitals and fraudulently registered institutions while genuine healthcare facilities remain grossly underfunded and ordinary Kenyans continue to suffer. “The betrayal of the Kenyan people by those entrusted with their health will no longer be tolerated,” Maraga declared.

To confront the crisis, he has called for an independent forensic audit of the Social Health Authority (SHA). This audit will examine funds collected through the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), parliamentary allocations to the Primary Care Fund, the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund (ECCIF), and all disbursements to hospitals, suppliers, and vendors. Maraga stressed that the audit must be conducted with full transparency, including public disclosure of all recipients of funds. Only a comprehensive investigation, he argued, can expose the depth of corruption plaguing the health system.

“The Kenyan people have a right to know where their money has gone, and who has benefited,” he said. “The era of unchecked looting in the name of healthcare must come to an end.” He warned that continued inaction would only deepen the erosion of trust in state institutions and entrench a culture of impunity. “This is about justice for Kenyans who are dying in underfunded hospitals, while billions are funnelled into fraudulent schemes,” Maraga concluded.