The Rural and Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA) has raised concerns over delays in the settlement of National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) arrears.
In a statement issued on Friday, August 15, the association expressed frustration over the lack of action since the directive was made on March 5, 2025.
The association noted that healthcare facilities across the board, whether public, private or faith-based, are yet to receive payments owed to them.
Private hospitals push for settlement of NHIF pending bills before payment deadline. Photo: Courtesy.
“On behalf of the Rural and Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA), we write to express our deep concern regarding the continued delay in the fulfillment of the Presidential directive issued on 5th March 2025 regarding the settlement of NHIF pending bills. As of today, 14th August 2025, it has been 162 days-more than five months-since this directive was issued, yet no healthcare facility-public, private, or faith-based-has received any payment for the NHIF arrears it is owed,” the statement read.
RUPHA has moreover outlined measures it wants implemented before the payment deadline, including a formal assurance that smaller claims will be settled in the coming weeks.
RUPHA also wants transparency on the amounts each facility is set to receive, so that any discrepancies can be addressed before disbursement.
For larger claims that had already undergone verification in the past financial years, the association is calling for immediate settlement.
Furthermore, the association proposes the reactivation of branch-level verification for facilities whose claims had not been processed earlier.
This comes despite a presidential directive which was issued on March 5.
President Ruto had announced a plan to clear the outstanding debt left by NHIF, acknowledging the financial strain caused by the debts on health facilities.
The Head of State noted that the government would make full payments to hospitals with claims of Ksh10 million and below.
He added that hospitals with claims exceeding Ksh10 million will undergo a verification process to be completed within 90 days before a structured payment plan is implemented.
