The board of the Social Health Authority (SHA) Tuesday sent CEO Elijah Wachira on compulsory leave over a controversial payment of Sh1.6 billion claims.
The board named Robert Ingasira, who currently serves as Financial Services Director, as Acting boss.
In a memo issued on Tuesday by SHA Board Chairman Abdi Mohamed, Wachira was sent on compulsory leave with immediate effect for a period of 90 days to allow for further investigations into his professional conduct and performance as acting CEO.
Insiders said this follows claims of graft in the claims and payment of the new Sh1.6 billion under the new program.
The Social Health Authority has been working on surmounting pending bills challenges accrued by the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) for health care facilities and coordinating clearing of Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) pending bills towards commodity security since it came to life a few months ago.
As its first assignment towards UHC attainment, it has been critical to pursue the clearance of these pending bills as they also disburse claims on time to avoid payment backlogs.
About 50 percent of the Sh19 billion pending bills have been cleared in just over one month, a historic fete since the advent of SHA.
It therefore is a concern when Wachira takes actions that not only go against this effort but puts the delivery of health care services at risk despite the government’s best effort by diverting resources to a tune of Sh1.6 billion earmarked for offsetting debt to public government facilities almost leading to paralysis of healthcare on account of pending bills, an official said.
Insiders say Wachira bungled the NHIF transition to SHA and frustrated outstanding debt payments to health facilities despite availability and approval of the same.
