"Own blood": Njiru ends SHA row with Itumbi after 'evidence,' cites family ties
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- Lawyer Ndegwa Njiru and presidential aide Dennis Itumbi clashed publicly on X over whether the Social Health Authority scheme is working
- Itumbi cited two specific family medical cases, including a KSh 789,000 KNH bill that SHA allegedly covered to the tune of KSh 704,000
- The heated exchange took a personal turn when Njiru revealed that they share blood ties and warned against further back-and-forth
Lawyer Ndegwa Njiru and presidential aide Dennis Itumbi traded sharp words on X on Sunday, August 23, in a public dispute over the Social Health Authority (SHA) scheme that ultimately exposed a family connection between the two men.
The row began after Ndegwa Njiru questioned why President William Ruto had reportedly dedicated a four-hour live television programme to demonstrating that SHA was functional, arguing that a genuinely working scheme would not require such an elaborate justification exercise.
He called for an unscripted survey among low-income residents, including those of Mathare and Mukuru-Kwa Njenga, rather than what he described as a stage-managed broadcast.
Itumbi cites family medical bills as evidence
Itumbi responded not with policy arguments but with what he said were concrete family examples. He told Njiru that their cousin had spent one month admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), accumulating a bill of KSh 789,000, of which SHA settled KSh 704,000.
He added that Njiru's maternal aunt, who passed on two weeks prior, had an entire hospital bill at Tenri Hospital covered by SHA shortly before her death.
"Do not fight what works even with your relatives," Itumbi wrote, signing off with "Sina mengi ya kusema kwa sasa."
Njiru initially indicated he would not engage further, but the invocation of specific relatives drew him back into the exchange.
He confirmed that Itumbi was his "real cousin" and "own blood," sharing a common ancestry, before warning that their public argument risked inviting an ancestral rebuke.
"I know the outgoing president has the tendency of dividing even families," he wrote, appearing to attribute the rift to political alignment rather than personal animosity.
Njiru demands proof despite backing down
Despite the conciliatory framing, Njiru stopped short of accepting Itumbi's account as proof that SHA was working.
He said he was "constrained to put you to strict proof" of what he called an "open lie," demanding evidence that their shared relatives had genuinely benefited from the scheme.
When questioned about how he had obtained private medical billing information, Itumbi acknowledged he was aware of the concern but maintained that those who understood how he accessed the data already knew the answer.
The exchange drew wider attention because it mirrored a broader national debate, with opposition figures and ordinary Kenyans continuing to report difficulties accessing care under SHA even as the government presents positive assessments of the programme's rollout.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.