Frontier Correspondent
Nairobi, Kenya.
Former acting Chief Executive Officer of the Social Health Authority (SHA), Robert Ingasira, has been charged alongside four others in connection with a Sh17.5 million fraud scheme involving falsified medical claims.
Appearing before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court on Wednesday, Ingasira and his co-accused were charged with conspiring to defraud the state-run health insurer through fake reimbursement claims filed between October 2024 and May 2025.
According to prosecutors from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the accused allegedly submitted bogus claims on behalf of Archprime Medical Clinic in Oyugis, Homa Bay County, fabricating patient records and invoices for services that were never rendered.
Ingasira, who served as SHA’s acting CEO until early this year, faces five counts, including conspiracy to defraud under Section 317 of the Penal Code, falsification of health information and misappropriation of public funds under Sections 48(1)(c) and 48(2) of the Social Health Insurance Act, abuse of office, and uttering false documents.
His co-accused are Elijah Wachira, an SHA official; Peter Abuna, director of Archprime Medical Clinic; Rosemary Daraja, a clinic employee; and Everlyne Otula, the clinic’s administrator. Abuna, Daraja, and Otula also face money laundering charges under the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act, with investigators alleging they benefited from more than Sh17 million in illicit proceeds.
All five defendants pleaded not guilty, and Chief Magistrate Judith Mativo granted each cash bail of Sh500,000. The matter will be mentioned on November 13, 2025, to allow investigators to conclude their inquiries.
The arrests on Tuesday are part of a wider EACC investigation into financial irregularities at SHA, Kenya’s national health coverage agency. Ingasira is reportedly among nine individuals linked to four separate fraud cases recently approved for prosecution by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
The scandal has reignited public concern over accountability and financial oversight within SHA, which manages billions of shillings in public healthcare reimbursements.
SHA has yet to issue a formal statement on the charges. If convicted, the accused face up to 10 years in prison for conspiracy, as well as potential fines and asset forfeiture under Kenya’s anti-money laundering laws.