{
  "id": 5257751,
  "title": "Sicily Kariuki questions SHA performance, urges MPs to address healthcare challenges",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/sicily-kariuki-questions-sha-performance-urges-mps-to-address",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-03T05:32:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "People Daily Kenya",
    "slug": "people-daily-kenya",
    "url": "https://peopledaily.digital/news/sicily-kariuki-questions-sha-performance-urges-mps-to-address-healthcare-challenges"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki has urged Members of Parliament (MPs) to scrutinize the performance of the Social Health Authority (SHA), arguing that the system is failing to adequately serve ordinary Kenyans. In an interview with Kameme TV on September 3, 2026, Kariuki challenged the government’s claim that millions of Kenyans are benefiting from SHA, stating that official figures should not be the sole basis for dismissing citizens’ concerns about difficulties accessing healthcare. “You are standing and telling us that 32 million people are benefiting from SHA. The MPs need to think about the common mwananchi,” Kariuki said.\n\nKariuki’s remarks come amid ongoing discussions about the implementation of SHA and its impact on healthcare access. She emphasized that MPs should focus on the experiences of ordinary Kenyans seeking medical services rather than relying solely on government statistics. Kariuki argued that SHA’s effectiveness should be measured by whether patients can access healthcare when needed, rather than just by the number of registered beneficiaries. “SHA is not properly functioning,” she asserted, encouraging lawmakers to acknowledge the challenges faced by Kenyans under the new system.\n\nThe former Cabinet Secretary further criticized the government’s efforts to convince the public that SHA is working despite ongoing skepticism about its implementation. She suggested that the government should reconsider its approach if evidence indicates SHA is not delivering the expected services. “When you believe that it is not working, you shall stop forcing it on us that it is working,” Kariuki stated. Her comments reflect growing scrutiny of SHA, which succeeded the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) as part of Kenya’s healthcare financing reforms. Kariuki emphasized that MPs must place the interests of ordinary citizens at the forefront of their oversight responsibilities, especially when evaluating government programs that directly impact access to essential services. “The MPs need to think about the common citizen,” she added.",
  "summary": "Former Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki has challenged Members of Parliament to reconsider the performance of the Social Health Authority (SHA), arguing that the system is not adequately serving ordinary Kenyans. Speaking in an interview with Kameme TV on Thursday, September 3, 2026, Kariuki questioned the government’s assertion that millions of Kenyans are benefiting from SHA, […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}