Speaking as part of a panelist on NTV‘s morning show with host Debarl Inea, Shollei, who is a Woman Rep for DP William Ruto’s home county of Uasin Gishu, argued that the new changes were punitive and did not represent Uhuru’s universal healthcare pledge that was part of his Big 4 Agenda.
She further pointed out that NHIF would have to defend the proposal before a parliamentary committee that she chairs where she would be ready to interrogate the rationale behind them. She said this while addressing the president directly demanding that he responds to the apparent affront on his legacy project.
“One of the Big 4 Agenda was universal healthcare. It was to ensure that everybody, not your economic status in this country, is capable of being able to have access to medical services.
“First of all, the new regulations are a statutory instrument which means they are required to come before the committee on delegated legislation for approval. It has to come to Parliament and it will come to the committee that I chair and I’m happy about that because we will have an opportunity to interrogate it,” she explained.
“That is not universal healthcare, It means we have gone worse than the initial NHIF. There are people who cannot afford Ksh500 in this country Mr President. Let us start talking about the Big 3 because it is no longer the Big 4,” continued Shollei.
She went on to declare that she was ashamed of being associated with the Jubilee Party.
“It is extremely unfair and it is the worst thing that this government has done. I am ashamed to be in Jubilee,” she continued.
On Thursday, January 9, the fund released a raft of changes that were first brought to the attention of Kenyans in a memo widely circulated on social media.
Among other things, the new changes reviewed the number of dependants to a maximum of five children and one spouse for the national scheme. This is down from the previous 10 dependant children per cover.
The proposed changes revoke the membership of a member who has defaulted payment for 12 consecutive months and requires them to pay a full-year contribution upfront before enjoying benefits – benefits that can only be enjoyed after a 90-day waiting period.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMTQynIVEnE?autoplay=0&start=0&rel=0&w=854&h=480]