By Nuru Salim
Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro has called on the Senate Public Investments and Special Funds Committee to intervene and ensure the immediate release of over Sh. 410 million owed to the county by the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and the newly established Social Health Authority (SHA), citing that the funds are critical to the delivery of essential health services.
Speaking during the committee’s oversight visit to Kilifi County, Governor Mung’aro said the national government, through NHIF, owes the county Sh. 142 million, while SHA has yet to release an additional Sh. 268 million, bringing the total outstanding amount to Sh. 410 million.
“These funds are meant to support the procurement of medicine and implementation of crucial development projects in our health sector. Despite the county allocating part of its budget to health, it is not enough to sustain services without national support,” Mung’aro said.
He emphasized that only Sh. 27 million had so far been disbursed by SHA, an amount he termed grossly inadequate to meet the healthcare needs of the county’s growing population.
“SHA owes us over Sh. 268 million, and NHIF owes Sh. 142 million. We are still treating patients despite these financial setbacks. I assured our people that no patient will be turned away from hospitals because of delayed funds. But if these payments are not made urgently, service delivery will be interrupted” he added.
According to Mung’aro, hospitals across the county including those in Malindi, Kilifi, Mariakani, Mtwapa, Bamba and Marafa are struggling to operate due to limited resources. He noted that the SHA system often indicates patients are covered, yet funds do not reflect in the county accounts from Nairobi.
“When you pay the hospital bill with SHA, the system will tell you that you have cleared the bill but in reality, money has not been credited to the hospital account. This makes hospital operations very difficult.” he stated.
The governor made the remarks when the committee, led by Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, toured Kilifi to inspect various completed and ongoing development projects aimed at verifying the proper utilization of public funds.
The senators also visited the Kilifi County Referral Hospital, Malindi Water and Sewerage Company (MAWASCO), and a wastewater management project whose implementation has been delayed.
Recently, MAWASCO reduced non-revenue water to 16 percent. Governor Mung’aro appealed to the Senate to amend the Water Act to enforce stricter penalties on individuals involved in illegal water connections.
“We are facing increasing cases of illegal water connections. MAWASCO has set up a special team to deal with the issue, but we also need the law to bite harder. I urge the Senate to amend the Water Act to deter this criminal activity,” he said.
In his response, Senator Osotsi assured the county that the committee will push for the immediate release of the funds owed by SHA, noting that delayed disbursements were not only affecting Kilifi but were a national crisis.
“We are aware SHA owes counties a lot of money, and this is undermining health service delivery countrywide. We shall pursue the matter to ensure counties are reimbursed promptly,” Osotsi said.
Governor Mung’aro reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to continue providing healthcare despite the challenges, emphasizing the need for timely funding to achieve lasting impact.
