Dr. Peter Kamunyo now becomes the new Chief Executive officer for the National Health Insurance Fund. The new boss is set to take office officially starting Tuesday next week.

He, [Dr. Kamunyo] will take over from Nicholas Odongo, who has been an interim CEO since 2018. Odongo came in following the arrest and charging of Geoffrey Mwangi over conspiracy, among other misconduct.

The CEO position has since been advertised twice. This is after the first advert did not yield the required candidate. The incoming CEO was appointed after the February 2020 advert.

The interim CEO, Mr. Odongo, will now resume his role as the strategy and marketing director. "When acting, you don't relinquish your substantive role. I will now go back to my position," stated Mr. Odongo.

The incoming CEO Dr. Kamunyo has experience of 21 years in the healthcare sector. This is according to the advert published in local newspapers and signed by the NHIF chair Ms. Hannah Murithi.

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Before his NHIF appointment, Kamunyo served as the CEO of Tai Medical Centres and MedSource Group Limited.

He takes over at a time when NHIF is facing a cash crisis, with its members seeking alternative medical insurances.

Unless the new contribution rates are put in place, NHIF risks collapse within two years from now. This is as per the Health Financing Reforms Expert Panel (Hefrep) report.

Civil servants, police, prisons, among others, have been contributing Sh2 billion annually towards NHIF. The amount is beside the premiums for police medical insurance for Sh5 billion and civil servants insurance for Sh5 billion; the National Treasury has been paying to NHIF.

The new contribution rates were put on hold by the president last month following public uproar.

The CEO post for the NHIF was rendered vacant after Mr. Mwangi's arrest sometimes in 2018. His arrest was occasioned by the Sh93 million loss by the NHIF.

This is after reports emerged that a 23-acre land parcel reportedly bought with the same amount turned out to belong to a group of Maasai.

https://www.nation.co.ke/news/NHIF-names-Peter-Kamunyo-as-new-boss/1056-5518744-necc4q/index.html