I have taken note of the press statement issued by a section of Members of
Parliament regarding the Social Health Authority (SHA), which contains several misleading claims and factual inaccuracies. It is imperative that we set the record straight and provide the public with the facts on our progress towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

1. ON THE LEGAL ESTABLISHMENT OF SHA
   It is shocking and deeply concerning that Members of Parliament would question the very existence of an Authority established by a law they themselves passed.
   The legislative authority of the Republic lies with Parliament under Articles 93, 94, 95, and 96 of the Constitution. The Social Health Insurance Act, 2023— which establishes SHA—was duly debated, passed, and assented to by the President.
   The role of Parliament is to make law. The role of the Executive, which I lead in the health sector, is to implement those laws. The establishment and operationalization of SHA is a direct implementation of the will of the people of Kenya, as expressed through their elected representatives in Parliament. To now disavow this process is to disavow their own legislative mandate.
2. ON THE COST AND NECESSITY OF THE NEW DIGITAL SYSTEM
   The allegations regarding the cost of the Integrated Healthcare Information Technology System (IHITS) are based on a fundamental misunderstanding and a deliberate misrepresentation of facts. The IHITS is a comprehensive national health ICT system that integrates various key players in the health sector, including healthcare providers, the Social Health Authority (SHA), the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), the Digital Health Agency (DHA), and the
   Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), Clinical Officers Council (COC), Pharmacy and Poisons Board, among others.
   In contrast, the SHA ICT System is a component of IHITS and specifically handles health finance and insurance services. This system is required by law to have a minimum enterprise resource planning (ERP) functionality to manage all of the SHA’s processes and services.