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.
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
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