Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale today dismissed a series of allegations levelled against him by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, characterising them as “reckless” and lacking factual basis.
In a detailed response issued from his office, Duale challenged Gachagua to substantiate claims on financial arrears, alleged ownership links to a private firm and procurement irregularities connected to the Social Health Authority (SHA).
Duale’s statement frames the dispute as symptomatic of political posturing at the expense of transparent public discourse, urging the former impeached Deputy President to “move beyond reckless allegations and submit himself to facts, transparency and accountability."
No Dossier, No Evidence
Duale began by addressing Gachagua’s assertion that faith-based and private hospitals are owed KSh 90 billion under the SHA scheme.
“You loudly claimed to hold a dossier alleging that faith‑based organisations running medical facilities are owed KSh 90 billion. To date, that dossier remains unseen,” the CS said, noting that without disclosure of the actual documentation, the figure cannot be verified.
Duale provided what he described as the verified status of outstanding claims: facilities have submitted KSh 27.5 billion in claims across various funds, of which KSh 18.2 billion has already been paid.
A further KSh 5.6 billion is under active processing within the real‑time system and KSh 3.7 billion comprises rejections or returns for correction, he stated, emphasising that the numbers are transparent and auditable.
Ownership Allegation Rebuffed
The CS also rebuffed claims that he holds a 17 percent stake in Convergence Network Limited, a firm that has surfaced in the critique of SHA’s rollout.
Duale issued a direct challenge to Gachagua to produce a CR12 certificate from the Business Registration Service, the official document detailing company shareholders and directors, to support the allegation.
“It will confirm, without ambiguity, that I have no ownership, direct or indirect,” he asserted.
Clarifying the KSh 104 Billion Contract Narrative
On the accusation that the government contracted a consortium at a cost of KSh 104 billion to operate SHA, Duale said the assertion is a “serious claim” that must be brought into the public domain with full documentation.
He stressed that the contract in question — referenced in legal filings — is the High Court‑affirmed HCCHRPET/E513/2024 10‑year IT infrastructure agreement signed on 9 August 2024, and is not a contract to operate SHA.
According to Duale, the narrative that it is an SHA operations contract is misinformation.
“The facts are clear and on record,” he stated, pointing to the High Court’s determination that the procurement was constitutional.
Duale maintained that the IT infrastructure deal supports the digital backbone of health financing, distinct from the operational management of the authority itself.
SHA ‘Operational and Delivering’
Duale’s rebuttal highlighted that the SHA is “fully operational, constitutional and delivering for Kenyans,” with over 30 million citizens onboarded and stabilisation underway.
He provided a breakdown of claims over a 19‑month period, noting that KSh 1.43 billion was rejected due to fraud‑related issues and KSh 2.36 billion returned to facilities for correction — issues outside SHA’s control but traceable to submitting institutions.
On Primary Health Care (PHC) disbursements, Duale said KSh 1.15 billion has already been paid to 448 faith‑based facilities, with all PHC claims cleared up to January.
Political Undertones and Public Scrutiny
While Duale’s response focuses heavily on verifiable figures and official records, it also raises questions about the motivation behind sustained allegations, suggesting a pattern of “intimidation and falsehoods” that could, in his view, resemble past attempts at extortion.
He reiterated that his mandate remains strengthening health services and ensuring dignity and affordability for Kenyans under a system grounded in transparency.
The public release sets the stage for ongoing scrutiny of SHA performance amid deepening political fault lines over the rollout of universal health coverage reforms.