NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 25 – Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has summoned the Board and management of the Social Health Authority (SHA) for a briefing on Monday following allegations of ethnic bias in the authority’s ongoing recruitment drive.
The move follows a wave of media reports questioning the ethnic composition of recently hired staff at SHA.
Duale was responding to a headline published by The Standard, which suggested the recruitment reflected a return to ethnically skewed public appointments.
Speaking in Garissa on Saturday, Duale defended the recruitment process, saying it is anchored in Article 10 of the Constitution, which emphasizes inclusivity, equity and national cohesion.
He argued that past administrations entrenched regional and ethnic imbalances in public service hiring, citing audits by the Public Service Commission (PSC) and reports by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) that point to long-standing marginalisation of some communities.
“We must correct historical injustices. That is not my opinion — it is documented in NCIC reports,” Duale said.
The Cabinet Secretary maintained that SHA is following constitutional and statutory guidelines to ensure fair representation across regions, communities, religions and gender.
“All regions, all communities, all religions and all genders must be given equal opportunity,” he said.
While noting that he does not directly manage recruitment at SHA or Kenyatta National Hospital, Duale acknowledged that accountability ultimately rests with his office.
“The concerns of Kenyans will be addressed. As Cabinet Secretary, the buck stops with me,” he said.
Duale confirmed that he will personally review the recruitment files on Monday to assess compliance with constitutional requirements on inclusivity and merit.
The intervention comes as SHA prepares to onboard the National Police Service and the Kenya Prisons Service into the social health insurance scheme from April 1, a move expected to significantly expand the authority’s coverage and intensify public scrutiny of its operations.
