By Michelle Ndaga
Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has launched disciplinary action against a Social Health Authority (SHA) officer after a father publicly accused her of demanding a bribe during his child’s discharge process.
The complaint was made by Kinoti Joseph, a parent from Meru, who took to social media following a confrontation at KNH’s Surgical Ward 4C.
According to Joseph, the officer delayed his child’s discharge, charged him KSh 2,070 for an alleged overstay, and insisted he issue a chief-stamped apology letter before allowing the child to leave.
KNH responded swiftly, issuing an unreserved apology to Joseph and confirming that the officer, part of the SHA clearance team, had been placed on administrative leave. The hospital’s CEO, Richard Lesiyampe, said the institution views the alleged conduct as “unacceptable” and has initiated disciplinary proceedings under its human resources policy.
In addition to disciplining the officer, KNH said it has processed a refund of the overstay fee to the family and finalized the child’s discharge.However, Joseph’s family says they left the hospital without receiving some crucial medical documents, adding to their grievances.
The case has highlighted broader concerns about the SHA system, which replaced NHIF in Kenya’s public health financing. The system has faced previous criticisms over service delays and system outages.
Civil society and patient rights advocates are calling on KNH and the SHA to strengthen accountability mechanisms and protect patients from abuse by administrative staff. For many, the incident serves as a glaring reminder that health‑insurance reforms must go hand in hand with transparency and integrity.
