GARISSA— Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has issued a strong rebuttal to allegations leveled by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, daring him to substantiate claims of massive debts owed to faith-based health facilities and personal involvement in a controversial KSh 104 billion contract for the Social Health Authority (SHA).
In a response, Duale urged Gachagua to move beyond “reckless allegations” and embrace facts, transparency and accountability. He challenged the former DP on several fronts, demanding concrete evidence for claims that have dominated recent political discourse.
First, Duale addressed Gachagua’s assertion of a “dossier” alleging that faith-based organizations operating medical facilities are owed KSh 90 billion. “To date, that dossier remains unseen,” Duale stated, calling for its immediate public release.
Second, he directly confronted the claim that he holds a 17% stake in Convergence Network Limited, a firm reportedly part of the consortium handling SHA’s IT infrastructure. Duale challenged Gachagua to produce the official CR12 form from the Business Registration Service, which lists shareholders and directors. “This official document will confirm, without ambiguity, that I have no ownership, direct or indirect,” he said.
Third, Duale dismissed accusations that the government contracted a consortium to “operate” the SHA at a cost of KSh 104 billion. He clarified that the figure refers to a 10-year Integrated Health Information Technology System (IHITS) infrastructure contract signed on August 9, 2024. The High Court, in petition HCCHRPET/E513/2024, affirmed its constitutionality, emphasizing it supports rather than operates the SHA. “That narrative is deliberate misinformation,” Duale asserted.
Duale further questioned Gachagua’s motives, suggesting the sustained campaign against Convergence Network Limited raises concerns of possible extortion. “Kenyans are right to ask whether this is yet another attempt at extortion, similar to past incidents,” he remarked, while noting his focus remains on improving healthcare delivery.
On the financial figures, Duale provided detailed clarifications. The verified claims from facilities stand at KSh 27.5 billion over 19 months across schemes including SHIF, POMSF, Teachers, and ECCIF—not KSh 90 billion. Of this, KSh 18.18 billion (about 78%) has been processed and paid. KSh 1.43 billion was rejected due to fraud concerns, KSh 2.36 billion returned for corrections, and KSh 5.58 billion remains under clinical review within the 90-day window. Additionally, KSh 1.15 billion has been disbursed to 448 faith-based facilities for Primary Health Care, with claims cleared up to January.
Duale highlighted SHA’s progress: over 30 million citizens onboarded, with the system stabilizing rapidly and delivering services to Kenyans.
“These are the facts. SHA is fully operational, constitutional and delivering,” he concluded, calling for evidence-based public discourse on critical healthcare reforms.
