Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi on Sunday, November 3, 2024, attributed recent resistance to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) to cartels resisting change. Mudavadi claimed that these graft networks, allegedly tied to the now-defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), are attempting to protect their own interests.
“When you hear this noise, it is also because corruption is fighting back,” Mudavadi stated, highlighting the persistent challenges in reforming Kenya’s healthcare system. “They do not want the change that will benefit every Kenyan. So let us be very careful because corruption fights back,” he cautioned, calling on Kenyans to stay vigilant against misleading agendas.
President William Ruto also weighed in, defending the SHIF as a crucial shift toward affordable, inclusive healthcare. According to Ruto, SHIF is designed to alleviate the financial struggles many Kenyans faced under NHIF, especially those unable to afford long-term healthcare for chronic illnesses.
“Before SHIF, health insurance was a privilege for the wealthy. Now, through the new system, health insurance will be available to every Kenyan. You do not need a job or the ability to pay premiums. The government will cover SHIF premiums for those who cannot afford them,” Ruto explained.
Ruto further pointed to past instances under NHIF where patients were left untreated after exhausting their benefits. “Previously, Kenyans with illnesses like cancer or diabetes would be told that their funds were exhausted and sent home to wait for death. How heartless can we be?” he questioned, underscoring SHIF’s commitment to preventing such situations.
