Gladys Shollei: If SHA is not working, how does it owe hospitals money?

Gladys Shollei, Deputy Speaker of Kenya's National Assembly, staunchly defended the Social Health Authority (SHA) following criticism of the universal healthcare program's effectiveness. In a televised interview on August 11, 2026, Shollei countered claims of poor performance by highlighting the vast number of patients SHA had treated, asserting that the system's apparent debt to hospitals served as proof of its expansive reach.

She questioned the validity of those negative perspectives, emphasizing that hospitals had seen patient flows under SHA and, therefore, could not reasonably argue against its operational success. These remarks came amidst broader concerns over financing strains in Kenya's healthcare sector, particularly in light of the recent transition from the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) to SHA.

Public hospitals have been grappling with cash-flow challenges due to ongoing delays in government reimbursements. Beyond healthcare, Shollei leveraged the interview to showcase achievements of the Kenya Kwanza administration, including agricultural reforms, educational investments, and infrastructure revitalization projects. She credited a targeted fertilizer subsidy program with significantly reducing maize imports, decreasing the retail price of maize flour from 250 Kenyan shillings to 165 shillings per two-kilogram packet.

Shollei also pointed to increases in tea production, school enrollment for vocational training, and the revitalization of infrastructure, such as roads and fish landing sites. These developments, she argued, were tangible results of government policies and initiatives that had directly benefited Kenyan citizens.