Peter Salasya. Photo: Courtesy
Mumias East MP Peter Salasya has sharply criticized the government’s new Single Health Account (SHA) system, describing it as a “cruelty disguised as policy” that is crippling healthcare delivery across Kenya.
Speaking on X, Salasya said the SHA rollout has left hospitals locked out, healthcare providers confused, and ordinary Kenyans stranded during critical medical moments.
“When a mother is turned away from a public hospital, when a patient is asked to pay cash because ‘the system is down,’ that is not a technical glitch—it is state failure,” he stated.
The legislator argued that the system, intended to replace the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and deliver universal healthcare, is failing in practice. “Healthcare is not an experiment, and Kenyans are not test subjects,” Salasya noted.
He accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of implementing a “half-baked digital structure” that collapses under real-world demands, causing frustration for doctors, suffocation for hospitals, and sometimes costing patients their lives.
Salasya warned President William Ruto to urgently reconsider the policy.
“Mr. President, relook at this policy urgently. Fix it, pause it, or scrap it, but do not ignore it. A government that plays games with healthcare eventually answers to the graves it created,” he said.
The MP’s criticism reflects growing concerns from healthcare workers and citizens about disruptions in service delivery and unclear guidance on the SHA system.
While the government has defended the rollout as a step toward universal healthcare, Salasya’s comments underline the challenges facing hospitals and patients struggling to navigate the new framework.