Head of Creative Economy Dennis Itumbi has strongly refuted reports in some sections of the media concerning a whistleblower’s application for a government position, insisting the facts were misrepresented.
Itumbi clarified that the officer, an auditor said to have uncovered alleged fraud at the Social Health Authority (SHA), did not apply for the position of Deputy Director as reported.
Instead, he affirmed that the officer applied for the position of Assistant Director and has been shortlisted.
“The truth is that [the applicant] never applied for Deputy Director. [The applicant] applied for Assistant Director and has already been shortlisted, pending interviews,” Itumbi stated.
Itumbi faulted the publication for what he described as misrepresentation, urging newsrooms to uphold accuracy and fairness in reporting.
He emphasised that recruitment processes in the public service are conducted under clear procedures and transparency, adding that such matters should not be clouded by misinformation.
He added that public service recruitment is bound by established procedures and transparency, and that distortions of such matters risk undermining public trust.
According to the publication, the applicant, who had been appointed as the deputy forensic audit and risk assurance this year, had been left off the list of those shortlisted for the interviews.
It appeared to tie the applicant to an alleged fallout after exposing irregularities within SHA operations, suggesting the whistleblowing role may have influenced the outcome.
Last month, the government suspended several health facilities across the country after uncovering widespread fraudulent claims to the SHA, in what Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale described as a “grave threat” to the sustainability of Kenya’s universal health coverage agenda.
The suspensions, announced at Afya House and published in Kenya Gazette No. 168 of August 7, 2025, followed a month-long forensic audit by SHA’s digital health system, which flagged suspicious claims.
The CS said the review uncovered multiple fraudulent practices, including upcoding, where claims for more expensive procedures than those performed and falsification of records.
Some hospitals were said to be submitting altered medical information to inflate claims.
Duale added that the audit revealed conversion of outpatient visits to inpatient care by billing for services patients deny receiving and multiple billing and ghost patients, pointing to collusion between facilities to claim for the same patient.
Facilities cited include hospitals in Nairobi, Bungoma, Homa Bay, Mandera, Kilifi, and other counties.
The Ministry also withdrew SHA platform access rights from eight doctors and four clinical officers linked to the fraud and forwarded their names to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for prosecution.
Meanwhile, the Social Health Authority has emphasised that its ongoing recruitment is being conducted transparently and in strict compliance with approved human resource and career guidelines.
Established under the Social Health Insurance Act, SHA oversees the implementation of three key funds: the Primary Health Care Fund, the Social Health Insurance Fund and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund.
The authority replaced the former National Health Insurance Fund following the launch of the TaifaCare system on October 1, 2024.
The current recruitment drive, which began on July 29, 2025, follows the nullification of an earlier internal process by the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
SHA said the process is progressing as planned and aims to select the most qualified candidates to strengthen the new agency.
“We are committed to building a professional and accountable institution dedicated to delivering quality healthcare for all Kenyans. We urge the media to uphold accuracy and responsibility in reporting so that the public remains well informed,” the Authority stated.
SHA also thanked former NHIF staff for their support during the transition and acknowledged the thousands of Kenyans who have applied to join the reform process.
