Lagdera MP Abdikadir Hussein speaking at a function in Bura
town./STEPHEN ASTARIKO.A war of words has erupted in Garissa over the implementation of the Social Health Authority (SHA) programme, with Lagdera MP Abdikadir Hussein sharply criticising Governor Nathif Jama following a viral video involving a patient seeking treatment.
Speaking during a fundraiser for Darulhikma and Taqwa Madrassas in Darulhikma village, Bura Constituency, Hussein accused the governor of undermining a national programme designed to expand access to healthcare instead of focusing on improving services in county health facilities.
The dispute stems from a video that circulated widely on social media over the weekend. In the clip, Governor Jama is seen speaking to a woman who reportedly sought treatment at Garissa County Referral Hospital but claimed she had not received services despite being registered under SHA.
The governor is seen giving the woman Sh1,000 before reportedly questioning the effectiveness of the programme and directing her to seek help from a specific doctor.
Reacting to the footage, Hussein challenged the governor to explain what his administration had done to improve healthcare standards in Garissa before criticising SHA.
“Yesterday I saw a video involving Governor Jama that has since gone viral. What I want to ask my governor is this: before he dismisses SHA and says it is not working, the question that begs answers is what has he himself done in terms of promoting healthcare standards in the county?” Hussein posed.
The MP argued that county governments have a responsibility to ensure public hospitals are adequately equipped and capable of serving residents enrolled under the health insurance scheme.
“My simple question to the governor is this: what has he himself done with the Sh1.6 billion that we got? A large sum of that money goes to paying private facilities. This clearly shows that services in our public hospitals are poor,” Hussein said.
He added that improving services in public hospitals would encourage patients to seek treatment there and enable the facilities to benefit from SHA reimbursements.
“So he has to improve the services at our public hospitals so that patients seek services in those hospitals and, in return, the facilities receive funds from SHA,” he said.
But a close aide to Governor Jama dismissed criticism surrounding the viral clip, insisting the incident had been taken out of context and politicised.
The aide, who said he witnessed the encounter firsthand, explained that the incident occurred at a mosque near the governor’s residence and involved a woman who regularly sought assistance there.
According to him, the governor had repeatedly supported the woman financially and advised her to register for SHA and seek treatment at a health facility.
“On this particular occasion, she appeared to insist that SHA services be brought to her where she was. The Governor, in a firm and somewhat frustrated tone, responded that SHA does not operate in that manner and that she needed to go to a health facility to receive the services. He then gave her transport money and advised her to proceed to the hospital,” the aide said.
The aide further accused the governor’s critics of selectively editing the clip to damage his reputation.
The controversy has also attracted the attention of East African Legislative Assembly MP Falhada Iman, who questioned claims that SHA was not working in Garissa and urged county leaders to actively promote the programme.
“The biggest irony is that the person tasked with championing SHA appears to have done little to promote it in his own county. Residents cannot be expected to benefit from a programme they are not adequately informed about or encouraged to enrol in,” she said.
Lagdera MP Abdikadir Hussein and other leaders during the funds drive in aid of madarasa schools in the area./STEPHEN ASTARIKO
Lafey MP Mohamed Abdkheir speaking at the function./STEPHEN
ASTARIKO
Residents of Bura during the funds drive./STEPHEN ASTARIKO
Former Bura MP Ali Wario speaking./STEPHEN ASTARIKO
