The government is too broke to fund the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). This is according to Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha who made the revelations on Wednesday.
According to the CS, the situation has been made worse by the current economic crisis Kenya finds itself in, something she says can only be remedied by passing the Finance Bill 2023.
“Kenya is broke and that is the fact that no one can deny at all. The cash crisis has even affected NHIF and that is the whole truth. We are working on all available interventions to see how we will address the situation. One of the best solutions we are thinking about is the introduction of the Finance Bill 2023. That’s why our President is so passionate about it,” she during an interview with a local radio station.
“I want to assure Kenyans that we sat down with the President this week and informed him about the necessity of the health sector in the country. I told him that he should prioritize the matter and look for funds to pay NHIF. He agreed,” she added.
CS Nakhumicha also revealed that currently, hospitals are owed NHIF close to Ksh20 billion and that the government is in talks with The Treasury to release the funds.
“We are in talks with Treasury to see how this money will be released. Talks are at an advanced stage and very soon things will be better,” she said.
