Counties are owed Sh5.9 billion by NHIF, governor tells Senate

The Vice-Chairman of the Council of Governors, Mutahi Kahiga, has told the Senate that counties are owed Sh5.9 billion by the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).

The money, according to Kahiga, is payment for medical fees for services offered to patients treated in county hospitals across the country.

Kahiga, who appeared before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee at Parliament buildings yesterday, said the 47 counties owe the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (Kemsa) Sh3.5 billion for drugs supplied to county health facilities across the country.

Committee Chairman Moses Kajwang’ took Kahiga to task over the Council of Governors’ (COG) decision to accede to the acquisition of medical equipment by the Ministry of Health, bearing in mind that health is a devolved function and that they should not accept gains made in devolution being taken away.

“I would like to caution Governor Kahiga to desist from defending the national government in this matter since it is the responsibility of the Council of Governors to ensure that devolution is protected. It was wrong for them to sign off on the acquisition of medical equipment by the Ministry of Health,” said Kajwang’.

Kahiga told the committee that most of the medical machines acquired under the Medical Equipment Scheme were now obsolete and could not be relied on to offer good services to citizens, necessitating the signing of an agreement by 34 governors to have new equipment supplied to counties.

Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah sought to know under what law they signed the agreement, with Kahiga defending the Council of Governors. He explained that they did so following advice received from their respective county attorneys and believed the process was above board.

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei asked governors to resist attempts to claw back on the gains made in devolution. He stressed that they should not allow the National Government to perform functions that belong to county governments, saying that if this is allowed, it would be the death of devolution.

“If you allow the Ministry of Health to acquire medical equipment on behalf of counties, what stops the Ministry of Transport from procuring graders for counties to be used in grading county roads?

‘‘That should not be the case; the Council of Governors should ensure that devolution is protected,” said Cherargei.