Garissa governor's Sh1,000 gesture puts SHA under spotlight

A viral video of Garissa Governor Nathif Jama handing a sick woman Sh1,000 has reignited a public row over the Social Health Authority (SHA)'s reach in the county.

The footage, in which Jama dismisses the SHA framework as unreliable, saying the system could not serve the woman at county hospitals, drew in a cabinet secretary and put two Garissa leaders on opposing sides of the debate.

The Confraternity of Patients Kenya (COPAK) criticised the state of healthcare in the county following the governor's remarks, with Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale stepping in to defend the scheme.

Duale said Garissa County alone had received more than Sh1.65 billion through SHA-linked programmes, including Sh1.264 billion under the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), Sh155.9 million for primary healthcare, Sh10.2 million for emergency and critical illness support and Sh220.8 million under a health fund management programme.

"The ministry remains committed to working with counties and partners to ensure no citizen is left behind," said Duale, adding that dignity in healthcare must remain central to reforms and urging responsible public discourse as the rollout continues.

Garissa Woman Representative Amina Udgoon Siyad also pushed back against the governor's framing, using National Blood Donation Day celebrations in the county to rally residents behind SHA.

"If SHA is working as intended, there should be no reason for our people to go around seeking treatment money from leaders," said Siyad.

The first-term legislator urged residents to register for and use SHA services, describing the scheme as central to the government's push for universal health coverage (UHC).

SHA, launched in October 2024, has faced sustained scrutiny over service delivery gaps and public understanding of its benefits