Murang’a Woman Representative Betty Maina has revealed that President William Ruto stepped in to clear a KSh2 million hospital bill for the wife of popular mugithi and benga musician Kamande wa Kioi a gesture that has since stirred mixed reactions online.
Maina, who shared the news on her social media pages on Tuesday, November 11, said the President settled the amount after the family and the Social Health Authority (SHA) had already raised over KSh1.5 million.
“Mama Kioi, wife to Kamande wa Kioi, was unwell but has now recovered at a private hospital in Nairobi. SHA and the family were able to pay KSh1.5 million leaving a balance of KSh2 million,” Maina wrote.
She went on to thank the President for his support. “Special thanks to H.E. the President, Dr. William Ruto. I reached out to him yesterday on behalf of the family and today he gave me KSh2 million, which I have handed over to them. Be blessed, H.E. Good health be your portion, Mama Kioi,” she added.
However, the post drew sharp criticism from Kenyans online, many questioning why the Social Health Authority had not cleared the full bill and why ordinary citizens without political connections cannot get similar help.
“How many of us can reach the President when our families are sick? We don’t need favours; we need a working health system,” one user commented.
“It’s only in Kenya where a president’s goodwill covers you better than the national health insurance,” another said.
Others took issue with the fact that SHA had not even paid half of the total bill, despite being the country’s main public health insurer.
“So SHA only paid about 42 percent? The rest came from the family and the President. What happens to those who can’t reach leaders for help?” one Kenyan wrote.
Amid the backlash, the legislator later limited comments on the post and hid several critical responses.
SHA has faced growing criticism since its rollout in October 2024. Many Kenyans have complained that the cover often falls short, leaving families to dig into their pockets to settle hospital bills.
Some hospitals have also been accused of rejecting the scheme, while others are being investigated over fraud allegations.
