COTU demands full autonomy of SHA systems, accuses MoH of interference

In a statement on Tuesday, Secretary General Francis Atwoli, said COTU has for the last one month sought audience with Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale for a sit down to address challenges that have been plaguing the national insurance fund, all in vain.

COTU argues that SHA’s biggest hurdle is the reliance of an IT system that is separate from the authority to run its operations, with the control currently in the hands of the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Digital Health Authority (DHA). 

According to the union, the authority needs to be in control of its technological infrastructure in exercise of its independence from the ministry and the DHA.

“I am painfully unable to explain to workers what is happening at SHA considering that SHA is being used as a conveyer belt to process payments while it does not control the IT system aimed at addressing the very problems created by the defunct NHIF,” Atwoli stated.  

“It is even more disturbing that even though SHA has its own independent Board which must be allowed to operate in line with its founding legislation, an amorphous entity, DHA, alongside the Ministry of Health continue to make SHA play secondary to them,” he added. 

COTU notes that SHA loopholes are because the authority can’t verify or authenticate claims or determine to whom the payments are to be or not to be made.

“As a result, SHA continues to be blamed, erroneously, for all misdeeds of both DHA and MoH,” Atwoli argued.

The union further expressed concerns of workers making contributions faithfully with the understanding that the authority has full control of its IT systems, which is not the case. 

“It is the position of COTU (K) that unless SHA is given 100% control of its IT platform, workers will lose the faith and trust they have in the institution and thus affecting compliance and provision of services.”

COTU is contemplating ending its participation at the SHA Board if issues raised are not addressed. 

The union has announced plans to convene a meeting at the Tom Mboya Labour College to deliberate on challenges that have emerged in recent days.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has dismissed what he calls propaganda and blackmail by “saboteurs” of the Social Health Authority (SHA) through the media, as public anger boils over persistent fraud in the government healthcare scheme.

This comes as SHA on Monday pulled down the public portal anyone could review the monthly payments the authority sent to hospitals in claims, as well as the Kenya Master Health Facility Registry (KMHFR), further fuelling criticism.