- Narok Senator questions viability of Kenya’s Social Health Insurance Fund, fearing corruption and lawsuits
- National Assembly Chief Whip defends SHIF, aiming to provide equal healthcare coverage
- Court of Appeal lifts High Court orders, emphasizing danger to citizens’ health rights
Narok Senator Ledama Olekina raised concerns about the viability of the proposed Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), arguing that it will not withstand challenges following the implementation of the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023.
Narok Senator Ledama Olekina
During a panel discussion on Citizen TV, Olekina expressed worry that the new scheme, set to replace the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), would burden Kenyans with increased taxes while compromising the quality of healthcare services.
Olekina emphasized, “All these pieces of legislation are sponsored by special interests, companies out there, and you’ll find that some of the companies that will be given those contracts are associated with very senior politicians. We are behaving as if we live in a first world, forgetting that we live in a dilapidated, corrupt environment in which we are led by sycophants. This will collapse; there will be a myriad of cases, people filing lawsuits on a daily basis.”
National Assembly Chief Whip and South Mugirango MP Silvanus Osoro defended the SHIF, asserting that it aims to equalize service provision in the health sector.
He stated, “The intention of this whole thing is to make sure that every person is covered. We need to be our brother’s keepers. We want to get to a level where getting health services is almost entirely free because you have contributed; you can walk into any hospital and get services.”
Osoro acknowledged a potential challenge with poorly equipped hospitals, which might impede the effectiveness of the ambitious scheme. “We are aware that the scheme will face the bigger challenge of poorly equipped hospitals, which might frustrate the effectiveness of the ambitious scheme.”
The SHIF entails salaried employees making a monthly contribution of 2.75%, while unsalaried Kenyans will contribute a minimum of Ksh.300.
The High Court had initially barred the implementation of the Act, but on January 19, the Court of Appeal lifted the orders. In their verdict, a three-judge bench highlighted a “real and present danger to the health rights of countless citizens who are not parties to the litigation pending before our courts” due to the suspension of the new health fund’s roll-out.
