On February 26, 2025, Mary Muthoni, the Principal Secretary of Public Health, faced a lot of criticism on social media after bombarding social media users with SHA-paid advertisements.
People were upset about her use of paid ads to promote messages about the Social Health Authority (SHA).
These ads, which talk about government healthcare plans, made many people angry.
They accused the Ministry of Health of caring more about advertising than solving serious healthcare problems in the country.
On social media, many users expressed their frustration with Muthoni’s approach. Some called the ads “offensive” and urged others to report them.
One user expressed sadness, saying, “Patients have no access to healthcare, and Mary Muthoni thought it was a good idea to advertise lies about SHA.”
This reflects a common feeling that the promotions make light of the struggles of Kenyans facing poor healthcare services.
Others questioned why taxpayer money was being used for what they called “useless” and “intrusive” ads.
This controversy comes at a time when the Hustler Fund and other government programs are also under criticism, leading to more public distrust.
Critics say that Muthoni’s choice to fill social media with paid messages instead of tackling real healthcare issues shows a gap between the government and the people.
Some people have even suggested that others should block her official account to protest against her actions.
Muthoni has not yet replied to the criticism, but the Ministry of Health has previously said that their online outreach is meant to inform people about new policies like the SHA, which took over from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
However, as hospitals are reportedly turning away patients and basic services are hard to find, Muthoni’s promotional efforts have only increased accusations of misplaced priorities.
