“We’ll Share His Number!” Sifuna Tells Kenyans to Phone Ruto if Hospitals Demand Cash
President William Ruto’s attempt to reassure Kenyans about the implementation of the Social Health Authority (SHA) has sparked an unexpected political clash, after Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna urged citizens to take their complaints directly to State House if hospitals continue to demand payment for outpatient services.
During a working tour in Nakuru on 29 October, President Ruto reiterated that outpatient treatment under the newly established SHA is “completely free,” insisting that no health facility has the right to ask registered members for any form of payment. He encouraged Kenyans to report offending institutions to law enforcement immediately.
“If any hospital asks you for money for outpatient care, call the police,” the President said, claiming that some facilities had been attempting to “double-bill” both patients and the government. He urged the public to help curb what he described as a growing trend of fraudulent claims.
But Senator Sifuna has sharply criticised the directive, telling the Senate on Tuesday, 18 November, that the President should take personal responsibility if hospitals are flouting the rules of the new health scheme.
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Sifuna: ‘If you’re detained in hospital, call the President’
Speaking on the floor of the Senate, Sifuna questioned why Kenyans were still facing detention in hospitals—including new mothers unable to settle bills—if SHA was functioning as promised. He argued that the mere existence of such cases showed that the government had abandoned citizens to fend for themselves.
“I feel terrible that Kenyans are on their own,” he said. “I want to encourage them by saying there is light ahead. We need a government that prioritises the well-being of its people.”
The senator dismissed Ruto’s call for police intervention as impractical and disconnected from the lived realities of patients trapped by medical costs.
“Truth can never stay hidden. If SHA was working, we would not be seeing statements like these in the Senate,” he told lawmakers. “The President should stop telling Kenyans to call the police. I want Kenyans to call the President instead.”
Drawing on memories of the 2024 Gen Z protests—when lawmakers’ phone numbers were widely circulated online—Sifuna said he was prepared to apply the same approach if hospital detentions persisted.
“We should circulate his number,” he said. “If you go to a hospital and you cannot pay, call State House. Call the President directly to sort out the issue.”
Senator Takes Aim at Sakaja Over Banking Switch
Sifuna also used the Senate session to raise alarm over a financial directive issued by the Nairobi County Government, which instructed health centres to close accounts held with tier-one banks and instead move their funds to Sidian Bank.
He argued that the decision defied logic, noting that Nairobi County collected approximately KSh 1.3 billion in the last financial year—an amount far exceeding Sidian Bank’s total deposits, which he said stood at about KSh 50 million.
“If you compare Nairobi’s budget to Sidian Bank’s capacity, the county would be bigger than the bank,” Sifuna said. “I have written to the governor seeking an explanation, but he has not responded.”
The senator warned that he would summon Governor Johnson Sakaja before the Senate if he fails to provide a satisfactory explanation in the coming days.
“It makes no sense,” he said. “We will bring him here to explain why this decision is even logical.”
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“We’ll Share His Number!” Sifuna Tells Kenyans to Phone Ruto if Hospitals Demand Cash
