NHIF cartels are still alive under SHA, KUCO chair Wachira says

The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) National Chairman Peterson Wachira says the purported cartels at the Ministry of Health (MoH) said to have crippled the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) are still alive months after the transition to the Social Health Authority (SHA).

Speaking on Tuesday hours after clinical officers kicked off their strike at midnight (for among other issues being locked out of SHA), Wachira said MoH cartels are behind the challenges Kenyans are experiencing with the new public health scheme.

“We are here because of cartels. During Mutahi Kagwe’s time, we as unions came out to say we had cartels at NHIF and MoH, but Kagwe dismissed us. Yet later he said the ministry is full of cartels,” Wachira told a Nation FM/NTV simulcast, referring to the health minister in former president Uhuru Kenyatta’s government.

“I want to inform Kenyans with clarity that the cartels that were under NHIF are alive and well.”

SHA is plagued with system failures, patient verification problems and reimbursement inconsistencies, among others, despite Kenyans contributing 2.75 per cent of their gross monthly income to the scheme.

Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Deborah Barasa has been urging Kenyans to be patient and says her ministry is reviewing the scheme's benefits tariffs and will announce changes on March 1.

So-called corruption cartels were blamed for holding NHIF hostage – President William Ruto himself claimed they were behind the cases lodged in court last year challenging the switch to SHA.

The immediate former Health CS Susan Nakhumicha last year said cartels were “sabotaging [her] work” in the ministry, even with Mr Kagwe saying he had “dealt” with them as he left office in 2022.

“President Ruto has said there will not be cartels under his administration and I want to tell him the cartels under NHIF are still alive under SHA,” Wachira said on Tuesday.

Clinical officers have been protesting being barred from offering services through SHA and a breach of last year’s return-to-work agreement which comprised a collective bargaining agreement, promotions, comprehensive medical cover and the confirmation of universal health coverage (UHC) clinical officers and those in short-term contractual employment into permanent and pensionable terms.

The clinical officers have been demanding immediate and unconditional recognition and empanelment of health providers and practitioners licensed by the Clinical Officers Council.

They also want the SHA board to reinstate pre-authorisation rights to clinical officers, including specialists.

While the officers went on strike again last month but called it off on the government’s persuasion, they say their demands have since not been addressed as promised.

KUCO Secretary-General George Gibore on Monday said the officers will not resume work this time until all their demands are met.