Private hospitals could face more scrutiny if newly appointed Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale follows through on his belief that many facilities have been defrauding the government.

In a video recorded on March 5—nearly three weeks before President William Ruto reassigned him to the Health docket—Duale criticised questionable claims made by some facilities. 

The now defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) owed hospitals Sh30 billion at the time of its phase-out, a financial burden now shifted to the Social Health Authority (SHA). 

In the video, Duale signaled a crackdown on  private facilities he accuses of inflating claims.

“Mark my words, the day SHA will take root, 60 percent of the many clinics you see in estates will close,” Duale warned.

“Those hospitals that you thought were doing good work were opened because of the fraud that was taking place in NHIF,” he said.

Cartel’s hell-hole: Health CS Aden Duale says Ministry needs a bulldozer to clear cartels at ‘Mafya House’

The CS said this during the launch of French Funded Security System for KFS on 5TH March, 2025 pic.twitter.com/RGxtE8uwcV
— The Standard Digital (@StandardKenya) March 28, 2025

Despite serving as Environment CS at the time, Duale spoke passionately about health policy, particularly SHA—a program that proved to be the undoing of his last two predecessors.

He has since claimed that cartels control the sector, blaming them for SHA’s unpopularity and accusing unnamed actors of fueling a propaganda campaign against it.

Despite widespread public skepticism, Duale insists the new government-backed health insurance scheme is working. 

“I talked to an MP who told me his mother is being treated for dialysis for free for the first time,” he remarked.

“Don’t listen to the propaganda; the people fighting SHA are the cartels.” 

Shortly after his appointment as Health CS on Wednesday,  Duale wrote on X that he would work with all stakeholders to ensure Kenyans have access to quality healthcare.

Did he anticipate his new role? Were his remarks a preview of what’s to come?