Private hospitals under the Rural & Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA) have halted Social Health Authority (SHA) services over Sh10 billion pending bills.
According to the association’s chairman Brian Lishenga, all patients under SHA will be served on a cash basis.
“The Rural & Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA), representing over 700 private and faith-based healthcare facilities across the country, has today taken the painful but necessary decision to suspend the provision of healthcare services on credit to the Social Health Authority (SHA),” he stated.
“This follows the expiry—at midnight on 19th September 2025—of the two-week notice we issued on 5th September 2025. Our notice outlined specific concerns that had to be addressed for providers to continue extending credit to SHA. Unfortunately, none of these issues have been resolved.”
“Effective today, all healthcare services (unless otherwise stated) at this facility for Social Health Authority (SHA) beneficiaries will be provided on a cash basis,” the notice said.
The association, which represents private hospitals nationwide, said the decision was necessary to ensure facilities remain open, essential supplies are available, and staff can continue serving patients.
“We regret the inconvenience this may cause and assure you that this action is driven by our commitment to ensure that hospitals remain open, essential supplies and equipment are available, and our staff can continue to serve you with the highest standards of care,” the notice added.
Other grievances Lishenga stated include discrimination in claims settlement Instead of automated “first-in, first-out” digital adjudication.
He pointed out that “claim settlements are now plagued by human interference.”
