"Kidogo Kidogo SHA Imeanza Kufanya?” Ruto Hits Back Amid Mounting Health Plan Criticism

As tension brews over Kenya’s shifting healthcare system, President William Ruto has fired a sharp warning to critics questioning the newly launched Social Health Authority (SHA), accusing them of playing politics while ordinary citizens wait for better medical access.

In a strongly worded statement shared online, Ruto said the same leaders who dismissed SHA as unworkable are now contradicting themselves. “First they said it wouldn’t work. Now they say it’s working, but not so well. What do they really want?” he asked during an address. He urged Kenyans to be wary of leaders who shift narratives to confuse the public.

Ruto defended SHA as a critical reform to end the era of impoverishing hospital bills and exclusion under the defunct NHIF model. He insisted his administration remains committed to improving healthcare for the informal sector, where the burden has always been heaviest. According to the President, critics have failed to offer alternative ideas and are clinging to what he termed “empty noise.”

Launched as a replacement for NHIF, SHA aims to expand coverage and simplify access to essential services across all counties. However, since its rollout, stakeholders—including civil society groups and health workers—have raised red flags over data security, rollout speed, and transparency in fund usage.

The debate has intensified in Parliament, with opposition MPs demanding a full audit of SHA’s implementation strategy. Meanwhile, a section of county hospitals report delayed disbursements, causing uncertainty among frontline workers.

As SHA begins to shape public health delivery, the big question remains: will it stand the test of scrutiny and truly serve the people, or is it another rushed promise unraveling in plain sight? Investigations into its early performance are ongoing.