The Social Health Authority (SHA) has clarified that it does not hold any contracts with service providers for the digitisation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) software.
Speaking on Saturday, SHA Board Chair Abdi Mohammed stated that the existing digitisation contract was inherited from the now-defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and pertains to the Health Insurance Claims System (HICS).
“The digitisation contract being alluded to is between the Ministry of Health, Safaricom PLC, Apeiro LTD, and Konvergenz Network Solutions. SHA has no direct involvement,” Mohammed emphasized.
He added that SHA is part of a larger health digitisation agenda aimed at improving efficiency, enhancing data portability, and minimizing fraud. The broader initiative involves entities such as the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), 17 regulatory agencies, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders.
Mohammed also dismissed claims linking SHA to alleged deals with the Adani Group, which have recently come under scrutiny.
He attributed these allegations to unnamed “cartels” attempting to disrupt SHA’s operations for personal gain.
“SHA is probably being dragged into the alleged Adani deals by cartels who benefited from NHIF at the expense of citizens,” he remarked.
The statement comes amid mounting calls from leaders for President William Ruto to terminate all Adani-linked deals. This follows the President’s directive on Thursday to cancel agreements involving the Adani Group in projects under the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco).
“It is not enough to cancel the Adani Group deals in JKIA and Ketraco. Adani is also in SHA/SHIF. Ruto should also cancel this deal immediately,” Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka stated on X.
Meanwhile, Safaricom has provided details on its Sh104.8 billion investment in an Integrated Healthcare Information Technology System (IHTS). The consortium, which includes Apeiro Limited and Konvergenz Network Solutions, is collaborating with the Ministry of Health on a 10-year initiative to digitise healthcare services.
The IHTS, set to roll out fully by February 2025, aims to streamline healthcare infrastructure and improve service delivery across the country.
