The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) and the National Nurses Association of Kenya (NNA-Kenya) have thrown their full weight behind Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale’s tough stance on eradicating fraud in the Social Health Authority (SHA) scheme, calling out hospitals accused of billing for non-existent beds and patients.
Speaking during a two-day union leadership training at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu’s Milimani area, KNUN General Secretary Seth Panyako lauded CS Duale’s declaration that government will not pay for multiple patients reportedly being squeezed into single beds, yet claimed as separate billable units.
“To comment a little bit on bed capacity, as CS Duale said, there will be no payment for any patient who shares a bed. As a union, we demand quality healthcare for our clients. You can’t bill the government for three patients on one bed,” said Panyako.
Panyako called on hospital owners exploiting SHA to instead expand their infrastructure, acquire more beds, and hire additional doctors to offer proper services.
“We support the CS fully. Our public health institutions must improve. Cartels have been using loopholes to steal from SHA, and we won’t compromise on accountability,” he stated.
However, Panyako raised concerns over policy inconsistency within the Ministry of Health, accusing it of moving the goalposts on SHA contributions. He said poor Kenyans were initially to pay Ksh300 but are now being asked for Ksh800 and told to make full-year payments before accessing treatment.
“We agreed the poor would pay Ksh300 or even zero. Now they’re being told to pay Ksh800 upfront. That’s unacceptable and a betrayal of the original promise,” he said.
Panyako also announced the suspension of a planned 30-day strike to allow time for negotiations, noting that talks were already underway with the employer.
On his part, National Nurses Association of Kenya (NNA-Kenya) President Collins Otieno Ajwang condemned recent attacks on nurses, referencing an incident in Kitengela where goons stormed a hospital and assaulted nurses and patients.
“We treat everyone – but if our nurses are attacked again, we’ll withdraw all personnel from such facilities. Nurses deserve the same protection as any government officer,” warned Ajwang. “If security isn’t provided, let the goons treat the patients themselves.”
Maurice Opetu, Deputy Secretary General of the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives, also demanded increased security in public hospitals, calling for the installation of CCTV systems, electric fences, and better safety protocols. He further urged the Labour Ministry to deploy representatives to counties for dialogue.
“The strike is on hold, but if our grievances aren’t addressed within 30 days, we will hit the streets,” said Opetu.
The two-day training brought together 180 union and parastatal leaders from across the country, focusing on negotiation skills and dispute resolution in the health sector.
