By Peter Ochieng
Kenyans have been urged to register for the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), which seeks to replace the widely known National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).
President William Ruto on Thursday said the government is keen on ensuring that no one is left behind, as the implementation of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) under his Kenya Kwanza administration gets underway.
Under SHIF, Ruto said low-income earners will contribute as low as Sh300 a month as opposed to the Sh500 as it currently stands under NHIF, adding that the government will pay for those who are unable to pay.
Speaking in Kericho County, the Head of State said the new strategy will ensure that no Kenyan is driven into poverty, because of high or huge medical bills.
“We now have a law that establishes the Critical Illness Fund (CIF) which will be used to meet the cost of illnesses such as cancer. No Kenyan will have to sell his property to pay medical bills,” said Ruto.
He spoke during the opening of the Belgut Technical Training Institute and Belgut TTI Digital Hub in Kericho County. He is on a development tour of the South Rift, which will also take him to Bomet County.
He later launched the tarmacking of the Kapsuser-Kipsolu and Kapsuser-Sosiot roads, that will facilitate the sale of fresh produce in Belgut, Kericho County.
In addition, he laid the foundation stone for the construction of the Talai Affordable Housing Project, and commissioned the Kericho Town link roads.
Earlier, Ruto said he had managed to navigate Kenya’s economy, out of the trenches.
“Mimi niliwaeleza mnipatie nafasi kidogo ninyoroshe hii uchumi. Kidogo ilikuwa imeenda ilikuwa imeingia kwa mtaro. Sasa nimetoa kwa mtaro hata mambo ya dollar mnaona vile inaanza kushika laini,” he said.
This translates to, “I urged you to give me some little time so that I improve the economy, it had gone to the trenches. I have removed it from the trenches, and now the issue of the dollar is getting better.”
He said he continues to use local solutions to improve the economy, instead of depending on loans.
