Nairobi — The Ministry of Health has asked the National Treasury to release funds to settle pending bills owed to healthcare facilities under the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), amounting to Sh5.3 billion.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the arrears affect facilities owed less than Sh10 million each, in line with a presidential directive prioritizing payments to smaller hospitals.
The ministry has compiled a schedule of facilities across all counties, disaggregated by ownership — public, faith-based, and private — that are owed by NHIF.
“These arrears continue to constrain service delivery, particularly at the primary and secondary levels of care. Timely clearance of these obligations will restore confidence among service providers and sustain essential health services,” Duale said in the request to Treasury CS John Mbadi.
The debts are part of Sh33 billion in outstanding NHIF payments flagged by the government. The ministry says all claims will undergo verification before disbursement once funds are allocated in the supplementary budget.
