Aden Duale, the Health Cabinet Secretary, has responded to mounting public concern after the Social Health Authority (SHA) allegedly failed to honour a Ksh500,000 pledge for the treatment of 10-month-old Chloe Agnes Nyang'au, who was airlifted to India for life-saving heart surgery.
The surgery, which is projected to cost Ksh1.6 million, has sparked national interest, motivating well-wishers to raise donations online after SHA originally provided partial support.
However, when the family arrived in India, they were reportedly told that SHA would not pay the guaranteed sum.
In a statement issued on Thursday, August 7th, Duale clarified that SHA operates under a different legal framework from the now-defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), and is bound by strict regulations regarding overseas payments.
“SHA is governed by the Social Health Insurance Act (SHI Act), the Public Procurement Act, and circulars from the Attorney General’s office.”
“Payments can only be made to healthcare providers who are empaneled and contracted by SHA,” Duale explained.
He added that several conditions must be met before SHA can fund treatment abroad.
These include proof that the treatment is unavailable in Kenya, compliance with contribution rules, and treatment at accredited facilities formally linked to a Kenyan hospital for follow-up care.
Duale also noted that a list of approved overseas services is still pending gazettement, and SHA is working with the National Treasury to establish a legally compliant procurement pathway for foreign healthcare contracts.
