“Aliongea na Wachawi” – Ruto Dismisses Gachagua’s SHA Collapse Claims

A photo collage of William Ruto and Rigati Gahagua

President William Samoei Ruto has dismissed claims by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that the Social Health Authority (SHA) will collapse within six months, terming the remarks as propaganda.

Speaking at State House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, during the Maendeleo ya Wanawake Annual General Meeting, Ruto defended the government’s flagship health insurance programme, insisting it is already working and benefiting millions of Kenyans.

In a sharp response, the president ridiculed the basis of Gachagua’s claims, saying he had attempted to verify the information but found it lacked credibility.

“Hata nasikia mwingine alisema juzi ati ako na habari kwamba SHA itacollapse in six months. Kwa sababu mimi ni rais, nilijaribu kuchunguza hii habari alitoa wapi. Nikagundua kwamba alienda akaongea na waganga na wachawi ndio wakamwambia hiyo,” Ruto said.

The Head of State added that critics of the programme were engaging in baseless talk, noting that opposition to government initiatives was not new.

Ruto revealed that over 30 million Kenyans have already registered under SHA, describing the figure as a significant milestone toward achieving universal health coverage.

“Leo, Wakenya million 30 wamejisajili kwenye SHA. Kwa mwaka mmoja tangu tuianzishe, tumelipa gharama ya shilingi bilioni 121 kwa mahospitali Kenya, the highest ever paid amount to the hospitals in the Republic of Kenya,” he said.

According to the president, the government has disbursed Sh121 billion to hospitals within one year of the programme’s rollout, the highest amount ever paid to health facilities in the country.

He said the scheme is aimed at protecting Kenyans from catastrophic medical expenses that often force families to sell property or livestock to access treatment.

“Tumesema hatutaki tena mtu auze shamba yake, mali yake ama ng’ombe ati kwenda kulipa gharama ya hospitali. Gharama ya hospitali ilipwe na bima ya afya inayosimamiwa na serikali, bora mwananchi amejisajili ndani ya SHA,” he stated.

Ruto noted that many households are already benefiting, with some patients having hospital bills worth tens or hundreds of thousands of shillings fully covered under the scheme.

He accused critics of spreading misinformation for political gain, arguing that some of them have neither registered for SHA nor taken time to understand how it operates.

“Kwanza mwenye anakosoa hajajisajili, na mwingine ni mwanasiasa ambaye hana haja na SHA, anafuata siasa,” he said.

The remarks come amid escalating political tensions between Ruto and Gachagua, who has recently emerged as a vocal critic of the government.

Gachagua had earlier warned that the SHA system is unsustainable and could collapse within six months, citing concerns over delayed payments to hospitals.

Speaking during a church service at ACK Diocese of Kirinyaga in Ndia Constituency on Sunday, March 29, 2026, the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader claimed the health sector was headed for a crisis.

“We have a big challenge with our hospitals. I have information that SHA will collapse in another six months, and there will be a major crisis of unknown magnitude in the health sector,” Gachagua said.

Despite the criticism, Ruto expressed confidence that the programme will continue to expand and deliver on its promise of universal healthcare, urging more Kenyans to register.