Murang’a Woman Representative Betty Maina revealed on Tuesday, November 11, that President William Ruto personally intervened to clear the remaining hospital bill for the wife of celebrated Mugithi musician Kamande wa Kioi. What began as a touching gesture of compassion quickly erupted into a national debate about the fairness and reliability of Kenya’s public health system.
Maina announced on her social media pages that the President contributed Ksh2 million to settle the outstanding balance after the musician’s family and the Social Health Authority (SHA) had already paid more than Ksh1.5 million.
“Mama Kioi, wife to Kamande wa Kioi, had been unwell but has recovered at a private hospital in Nairobi. SHA and the family were able to pay over Ksh1.5 million, leaving a balance of Ksh2 million,” she wrote. “Special thanks to H.E. the President, Dr. William Ruto. I reached out to him yesterday on behalf of the family, and today he gave me Ksh2 million, which I have handed to the family.”
The online reaction swiftly shifted from gratitude to frustration. Many Kenyans questioned why access to life-saving financial assistance depends on personal connections rather than a dependable, universal health-care system.
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“How many ordinary Kenyans can reach the President for help?” one commenter asked. “We don’t need leaders’ mercy—what we need is a health system that works.”
Another user wrote, “Only in Kenya does the President’s goodwill provide better coverage than the national health insurance.”
Others focused their criticism on SHA’s limited coverage.
“So SHA couldn’t even pay half? What is the purpose of an insurance scheme that covers only 42 percent of the bill?” a comment read.
Another added, “If this family didn’t have access to you, mheshimiwa, they would have been forced to sell their property or suffer in silence.”
As the backlash grew, the Woman Representative restricted comments on her post, concealing the criticism that had flooded the thread.
The incident has intensified the pressure on the Social Health Authority, which has struggled with credibility issues since its rollout in October 2024. The scheme has faced accusations of covering only a small fraction of medical bills, reports of hospitals rejecting SHA patients, and ongoing investigations into multi-billion-shilling fraud. For many citizens, the Kamande wa Kioi case has become yet another symbol of a health system that appears unequal and unreliable—effective only for those with political access.
