By REUBEN OLITA
May 11, 2026| The County Government of Busia has dismissed allegations that Busia County Referral Hospital is unlawfully detaining women over unpaid medical bills. The facility, officials say, follows a structured waiver process designed to support vulnerable patients who cannot clear their expenses.
Addressing the press, Busia Deputy Governor Arthur Odera (pictured) said the county remains committed to helping deserving patients through the hospital’s waiver programme while also ensuring the sustainability of healthcare services.
According to Odera, the hospital has since January waived bills for 12 patients, either partially or fully, based on recommendations from assessment reports prepared by the social welfare department.
“From January, we have waived bills for 12 people. This includes either part or the whole bill, depending on the waiver assessment report. Currently, we have 15 people at the facility with pending bills amounting to Sh750,000. Those found unable to pay after assessment are released through the waiver process, while those capable of paying are required to clear their bills,” he said.
Odera explained that the waiver process involves detailed investigations, including home visits, to establish the financial status of patients before approvals are made.
“We have a waiver process that includes visiting the homes of the affected patients to establish whether it is a deserving case before approval is made. In April alone, the county waived bills worth Sh335,000,” he added.
He noted that the hospital relies on patient payments to purchase medicine and maintain healthcare services, warning that waiving bills indiscriminately would negatively affect operations.
“The hospital depends on these funds to buy medicine and other commodities needed for patient care. We cannot waive bills for everyone because that would cripple the operations of the hospital and the entire health system,” he stated.
The Deputy Governor also cited challenges posed by patients from neighbouring Uganda, who often lack proper documentation. That makes it difficult for them to access support through the Social Health Authority (SHA).
“We admit many patients from Uganda, but they do not have proper documentation, making it difficult for them to access SHA or assistance from their country. We also have Kenyans, including minors and adults without national identification cards, which remains a major challenge,” he said.
Odera urged residents to register with SHA to reduce cases of patients accumulating huge hospital bills and being unable to secure discharge.
Busia County Referral Hospital medical social worker Videlia Makana defended the waiver process, saying only deserving cases benefit after comprehensive assessment.
“As a hospital, we conduct thorough assessments to ensure only deserving patients benefit from the waiver programme. The report is later presented before the waiver committee before approval is made,” she said.
Makana further revealed that some patients are allowed to clear their bills in instalments, although discharge is only processed after payment agreements are completed. She also appealed to local administrators to help ensure adults obtain national identification cards to ease access to healthcare services and SHA registration.
No bed is withheld out of cruelty, the county insists. But no bill is written off without a knock on a debtor’s door.