Wamatangi urges Ruto’s govt to provide truthful SHA info to Kenyans

Kiambu County Governor Kimani Wamatangi has asked President William Ruto and other government officials to refrain from sending misleading messages to Kenyans regarding the Social Health Authority (SHA) registration and to provide accurate information.

Speaking to Kameme TV’s Gatonye Wambugua on Monday, September 1, 2025, the county chief noted that a section of government officials, including the President, have been disseminating information without clarity, causing confusion across counties.

Wamatangi, who has long championed universal healthcare in Kiambu through his “Wamatangi Care” initiative, reminded Kenyans that the idea of localised health support pre-dated SHA.

“Let me speak about Wamatangi Care. I was the first governor to register people. The brainchild of local county care is Kimani Wamatangi, so that locals can get free healthcare,” he said.

Pending payments and stalled services

The Governor revealed that Kiambu County has yet to receive nearly Ksh300 million from the national government under the SHA system

He warned that without these funds, counties are unable to serve their local residents effectively.

“SHA still has a lot of issues because in Kiambu, we have about Ksh300 million that haven’t been paid. We want them to pay us so that we can serve locals well,” Wamatangi stated.

He lamented that residents were bearing the brunt of delayed remittances, noting that the healthcare sector cannot be run on political pronouncements alone. According to him, it is unfair and even dangerous for health facilities to turn away patients due to a lack of SHA registration.

Call to depoliticise health.

The Kiambu Governor further criticized what he termed the unnecessary politicization of healthcare.

He emphasised that leaders must refrain from giving Kenyans mixed signals, particularly on sensitive matters such as access to medical treatment.

“It is impossible for a sick woman to be turned away just because she doesn’t have SHA.

“When the President, CS, says that all Kenyans should be treated freely, they should put it right, urging Kenyans to register. Health is very sensitive and doesn’t need to be politicised,” he added.

Wamatangi’s remarks come against the backdrop of rising questions over SHA’s effectiveness, with reports of ghost hospitals and delayed payments dominating headlines.

His comments now add pressure on the national government to clarify its messaging and address financial bottlenecks undermining service delivery at the county level.