Nairobi, April 27 -- A supposedly well-meaning decision to establish the Social Health Authority (SHA) to replace the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) is proving to be a painful move.

 The NHIF had serious shortcomings, including financial mismanagement, but continued to serve its members much better than SHA has done in just over a year.

When the SHA's Social Health Insurance Fund was rolled out in October 2024, amid technical and logistical challenges, many had hoped that these were only teething problems. But it is getting more dire, with civil servants and teachers' unions threatening to strike as the SHA fails to deliver the quality health services they were promised.

More than 100 complaints have been lodged with the Un...