NHIF to SHA transition is ‘pure theft of public funds’- Gachagua
Rigathi Gachagua says the NHIF to SHA transition was rushed as he terms it ‘pure theft of public funds’
Rigathi Gachagua says the NHIF to SHA transition was rushed as he terms it ‘pure theft of public funds’
Former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has criticised the government’s dysfunctional transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Authority (SHA), saying it was unnecessarily rushed.
The new public healthcare system, which President William Ruto recently renamed ‘Taifa Care’, has been heavily criticised for its meagre benefits as well as cries from Kenyans unable to access healthcare under it since the transition began in early October.
But Ruto and senior government officials like his health cabinet secretary, Deborah Barasa, have defended it and even called for patience from Kenyans
In a Sunday evening interview with NTV, Gachagua, who was in October booted out of Ruto’s government through an impeachment motion, said the SHA roll-out was “hurried,” arguing that “there was no sufficient reason to move hastily from NHIF.”
“Looking at the mathematics surrounding that program, I found that it would have cost us between Ksh.700 million and Ksh.800 million to upgrade the system that was running NHIF and make it compliant,” the former DP, citing unnamed experts.
“Yet we are moving to a new program costing Ksh.104 billion!
Gachagua, called it “pure theft of public funds”, adding “My very honest view is that that is the crux of the matter; it is what the rush is about. The focus is the Ksh.104 billion.”
The former deputy president criticised Ruto’s administration for what he described as coercion and blackmail into registering for the new public healthcare scheme despite negative public sentiment about it.
“As an elected leader, you cannot dismiss what the people feel and think about a system… patients are going through hell… you cannot decide you will do what you have set to do as Kenyans complain,” Gachagua told the television station.
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“If something is good, it is people who should be rushing to register… if it reaches a place you have to intimidate and blackmail people that unless you register for this program, your child will not be registered into school, there is a problem.”
He maintained that he was not involved in any stage of the health program’s conceptualisation and roll-out, and alleged that some members of President Ruto’s economic advisory council have spouses involved in SHA.
“There is clearly a conflict of interest, the whole thing is not straight,” said Gachagua, without giving names.
With SHIF, all Kenyans are required to part with 2.75 percent of their income, with the base contribution being Ksh.300.
Members of the old NHIF were automatically enrolled into SHA without consent, which sparked additional criticism from a section of Kenyans.
The Council of Governors (COG) was also among the parties that accused the national government of bypassing them in implementing SHA.
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