Presidential aspirant Fred Matiangi Friday told President William Ruto to own to his failures further asking him to prepare to leave power by 2027.
Matiangi who was speaking at a burial at Nyasore, Kitutu Masaba in Nyamira further described the performance by the Ruto administration as below par citing the ailing health insurance scheme, SHA and education sector.
“What we are witnessing in the country is nothing but unsettling gluttony and wanton theft of resources , someone is actually quickly driving the country into the brink of collapse,” Matiangi said.
He described the suspected theft of billions of shillings from the health scheme as a heist sanctioned from the high quartets.
The fraud is currently being investigated by the government agencies with over a 1000 healthcare facilities already closed.
“I read in the papers this morning that over Sh24 billion shillings has been swindled under the watch of this administration.”
“The education system is in shambles , these are two critical symptoms of a country failing… that is why I need your mandate as the electorate to fix this country,” the former President Uhuru Kenyatta’ right hand man said.
He said it was shameful that money meant for development and education was now being converted into a handout scheme.
On Wednesday, Ruto warned that all facilities involved in misappropriating public funds from the health insurance systems will be required to refund it.
Ruto described the theft of resources intended for patients as a criminal act, underscoring that legal consequences will follow.
“We have already closed close to 1,000 health facilities. We will ensure they refund the money if paid, and we will prosecute them.
“Stealing money meant for patients is unacceptable and SHA will work because we are eliminating fraud,” he said.
The head of State credited SHA’s digitization efforts for uncovering fraudulent claims, including ghost hospitals and fake patients.
The digital system, he said, has enabled the government to detect irregularities that previously undermined the now-defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
“The digitization process of SHA is helping us identify fraudulent claims, ghost hospitals, and fake patients attempting to defraud our health sector,” Ruto explained.
Even with the assurances, however, Kenya Moja political movement has called for the resignation of Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and SHA CEO Mercy Mwangangi.
Group officials claimed the defunct NHIF system, now integrated into SHA, is being exploited to facilitate fraud, describing it as a betrayal of public trust.
They further accused Duale of a conflict of interest and criticized his tough rhetoric on corruption as inadequate, insisting that accountability must start at the highest levels of government,” the group said in a statement.
Ongoing investigations have already seen over 1,000 closures of various health facilities with 45 health facilities already shutting operations.
The health ministry has since rejected Sh10.6 billion in claims, citing fraudulent practices such as upcoding, falsifying medical records, converting outpatient cases into inpatient admissions and billing for non-existent patients.
Speaking in Kisii, Matiangi said his bid for presidency was aimed at ending the pandemic of graft in the country.
“We must stand up to end this madness , please stand me to the end,” Matiangi said.
The sentiments were supported by Nyamira Senator Okongo O’Mogeni and Kitutu Masaba MP Clive Gisairo.
O’Mogeni said it was shameful that Kenyans were being to pay for SHA annually in the face of indigence.
“What we are witnessing is a total breakdown of the public health system. Hospitals are turning into morgues because there are no drugs, no doctors, and no equipment,” said Omogeni.
“President Ruto and his government must stop the rhetoric and start acting to save lives.”
Speaking of State House visits by Gusii delegations, Matiangi said Kenyans had since grown past hand-outs.
“There is actually nothing going on…they have actually failed…I have rolled up sleeves to work and will not let you down,” the former Interior CS said.
He said he was ready to redeem the country even as he asked the youth toget voting cards.
“Everywhere I go people are anxious for a change and we must play the vanguard role in bringing it to the nation,” he said.
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