Five Directors Face Court Over SHA Ghost Claims
Five directors of two private healthcare facilities have been arraigned before the Milimani Law Courts in connection with an alleged fraud scheme that siphoned more than forty-one million shillings from the Social Health Authority through fictitious patient claims.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations acted after a formal complaint and forensic audit exposed widespread irregularities in medical billing.
Investigators established that Nissi Medical Centre allegedly received over thirty-eight point seven million shillings via falsified records and ghost patients, while Dawa Front Healthcare Services is suspected of obtaining more than two point five million shillings through similar means. Detectives also blocked additional pending claims worth over eight million shillings before the money could be released.
The five accused are Dominic Atieno and Peter Atieno of Nissi Medical Centre, together with Eugine Ochieng, Enos Osire and Elija Otieno of Dawa Front Healthcare Services. They face charges including conspiracy to commit a felony, making false statements to obtain benefits under the Social Health Insurance Act, and acquiring proceeds of crime.
The audit further revealed that some of the implicated facilities had earlier been closed by the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council of the country for non-compliance, yet continued to operate under active contracts with the Social Health Authority. This discovery raised serious questions about oversight and contract management within the health financing system.
Detectives have indicated that more suspects linked to the network remain under investigation as authorities work to recover the lost public funds and tighten controls against similar schemes. The case highlights ongoing challenges in safeguarding resources intended for genuine healthcare services across the country.
