SHA insurance mix-up stalls burial as man who died used brother’s identity

The family has been unable to bury their relative, Antony Njoroge Maina, after it emerged that he sought treatment using his brother’s SHA details — a move that later led to the issuance of a death certificate bearing the name of the living sibling.

Antony’s body remains at the Mbagathi mortuary as the family struggles to reconcile official records and complete burial procedures.

According to Mbagathi Hospital, Antony was rushed from Kibera Medical Centre to the facility for emergency care on November 7, 2025. On arrival, he reportedly registered under the name Toto Joshua Maina, his brother, because Antony was not enrolled under SHA and wanted to access treatment benefits.

Two days later, on November 9, Antony’s condition deteriorated and he died at 7:35 a.m. Hospital staff, unaware of the false identity, issued a death certificate under the name of Toto Joshua Maina.

Mbagathi Hospital Director Alex Irungu said the discrepancy was uncovered when the facility demanded the original identification document to verify the SHA account and process documentation.

“When we issue a death certificate, we always demand the original ID of the patient, whether discharged or deceased, to verify the SHA account. In this case, when we requested Joshua Maina’s ID, he began avoiding the facility. That’s when we detected this was fraud,” Irungu said.

Irungu said the matter ended up in court after Joshua Maina sought orders challenging the hospital’s position, but the application was dismissed — a move the hospital says affirmed the fraudulent nature of the case.

At the mortuary, officials said they compared the identification details and photograph of Toto Joshua Maina with the body in storage and established that the person named on the death certificate was alive.

“The name here is Toto Joshua Maina. But this photo doesn’t match the body we have. You can clearly see it’s not him,” said Mbagathi Mortuary Supervisor Solomon Nyongesa.

The incident has renewed scrutiny over patient identification and fraud risks in health insurance systems.

In a statement posted on his official X account, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale warned against attempts to manipulate health insurance, saying the government had phased out an “easily compromised” One-Time Password (OTP) system.

Duale said patient identification in Level 4, 5 and 6 facilities now requires fingerprint authentication to ensure the person receiving care is the registered beneficiary, adding that rollout to Level 2 and 3 facilities was underway.

He also announced mandatory use of the Practice360 App, a geo-fenced tool for healthcare workers, aimed at preventing unauthorised off-site approvals and code sharing.

The family, however, remains stuck with a body in the morgue as the process of correcting the official records continues.