PRESS RELEASE: COTU (K) ENGAGEMENT WITH NHIF ON NEW ENHANCED SCHEME AND RATES

The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) is currently undertaking various reforms aimed at positioning the Fund as a world class Primary Health Cover provider in the country and with the increased membership subscription and rates from the previous maximum of Kshs.320 to the current Kshs.1,700 as supported by COTU (K), the NHIF has since committed itself to executing its obligations with the much needed transparency while remaining accountable to its members who are the workers.

However, any attempts to destabilize these ongoing reforms at the NHIF through change of management that COTU (K) on behalf of the contributors has entrusted this process into namely the Chairman of the Board together with the Chief Executive Officer Simon Ole Kirgotty will result into COTU (K) reviewing its position as far as our support towards the NHIF is concerned since we are convinced that the engagement that COTU (K) has had with the top management of NHIF gives the latter a clear view of what our needs are and should be given an opportunity to complete this exercise without interference.

Equally, no worker will agree to sink such huge sums of money as a result of the enhanced rates into the NHIF when the masters of corruption and cartels of impunity are busy planning to loot the same through change of management system and by extension remove the current CEO since COTU (K) is privy to information that these planshave been afoot since COTU (K) agreed to the enhanced rates for the NHIF.

It is always wise for the government to seek the views of social partners before planning major changes and shift in the management of such an important institution like NHIF that is run through tripartism arrangement involving employers, workers and government and more importantly, without any budgeted allocation from the government, its control of the Fund should be through consultation.

Workers are not prepared to sit on their laurels while masters and priests of corruption plan to loot the NHIF and we will resist any such attempts and review our position to support the NHIF and if pushed further, we will be compelled to hold on our contributions to the Fund until we are fully convinced and widely consulted on any changes at the NHIF including the reasons why the current CEO Kirgotty should be removed from the Board which to the best of our knowledge such reasons only borders on the need to loot the Fund in the wake of the billions of Kenya shillings the Fund will be receiving monthly as a result of the increased rates.

Francis Atwoli, EBS, MBS

SECRETARY GENERAL