Angry Kenyans raise concerns over rollout of new health scheme

Nominated Senator Esther Okenyuri, Medical Services PS Harry Kimtai, Health CS Debra Mulongo Barasa, Public Health PS Mary Muthoni and Social Health Authority Board Chairman DrTimothy Olweny during public participation on the benefit package and Tariffs at KICC, Nairobi on August 30, 2024. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

A section of Kenyans is struggling to understand the government’s new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and its purported benefits as some claim the new system is expensive and will not cater to their health needs.

This is happening as records from several counties indicate that the registration to the new system is taking place at a snail’s pace as several Kenyans express displeasure and anger, and are hesitant to enlist with the fund.

In Mombasa, only a paltry five per cent of the targeted households have enlisted for the system while in Tharaka Nithi, only 500 people had registered as of yesterday despite the region having a target population of 500,000.

Interviews with a number of Kenyans across the country established that most of them were unaware of the benefits of the scheme and believe it is a ploy by the government to raid people’s pockets for more funds.

They wondered why the government has made the scheme compulsory for households and the reasons for the rush in its implementation.

In Nakuru County, some of the residents interviewed said they were unable to register through the site and claimed it was experiencing several downtimes.

“I tried registering but the site was not going through. Someone at the local National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) office told me that they were not registering people because there is a court order,” Susan Wanjeri, a resident of Lanet Estate in Nakuru East said.

Court ruling

She said the government should have moved old details from the NHIF accounts to SHIF to make it easier for new registration.

Peter Wakiru, a resident of Gilgil, recalled that the courts declared SHIF unconstitutional, and the government was given time to fix pertinent issues.

“I am not sure what is going on but the last I checked the courts had pronounced itself on the issue. Now they are saying everyone must register by October because NHIF will be defunct,” he said, adding that issues around SHIF were confusing.

In Naivasha, those interviewed said they were in the dark over the new health fund even as the government moved in to roll it out.

According to a retired medic, Stanley Mwathi, the new health scheme was shrouded in mystery with tens of unanswered questions emerging every day.

He noted that unlike NHIF, the new SHIF lacked enough information leaving Kenyans between a rock and a hard place.

On his part, the secretary-general of the National Parents Association Eskimos Kobia noted that said that it was still unclear why the government was terminating NHIF.

Sammy Keter, managing partner at KensLaw Associates, questioned the transparency and benefits of SHIF in comparison to the NHIF.

“The government has not been able to convince us of the benefits of SHIF as compared to those available under NHIF. If you look at the rates that Kenyans will pay and the services expected to be received, it’s not convincing that it’s a better option,” he said.

Uphill task

In Mombasa, CEC Swabah Ahmed said they were struggling to convince families to register for the new system.

“We have registered 20,000 households and our target is 350,000,” noted Dr Ahmed as residents and community health volunteers said they need to be sensitised on the new system.

In Kwale, Director of Health Hajara El–Busaidy said the number of those registered were few because they were yet to create public awareness.

“The few who have enlisted are the elite but in the rural areas, our people are yet to learn about SHIF. On Monday, we will train 1,700 health providers to create public awareness,” said Dr El–Busaidy.

In Taita Taveta, Health Chief Officer Rose Mkamburi said the major challenge is that the programme was controlled from Nairobi with counties having little role to play.

“The registration has not started as Community Health Assistants and Community Health Promoters are yet to be trained,” said Mkamburi, adding that the Ministry of Health had not provided policy guidelines.

In Kilifi, Health County Executive Committee member Peter Mwarogo said as of yesterday, they had registered only 9, 235 people.

Yesterday, Coast residents interviewed expressed reservations about the SHIF saying that it was yet to understand its benefits and the difference with the current NHIF.

A marketer, Wakanyi Kuria, said that despite being among the people expected to benefit from the scheme she had not registered because she fears her data will be exposed.

She expressed fears about the security of the private data she will share during the registration saying data can easily be abused if it gets into the wrong hands.

Kuria said she has not also registered because the court has declared it as an illegal fund. “The court has declared it illegal, SHIF is shrouded in mystery,” said Kuria.

A car dealer, John Kamau, said the registration was tedious.

“It is cumbersome because after registering online, one has to go again to the nearest health institution to give the biodata. People do not have all the time,” he said.

A community health provider in Mombasa, Anna Otum, regretted that they had no information about the new health scheme.

“The people at the grassroots are not aware of this new scheme because we have no information to educate them,” said Mrs Otum.

Lack of information

Similarly, in Mt Kenya, the transition is suffering setbacks in Tharaka Nithi and Meru counties, with residents hesitant to register for the health plan.

Interviews revealed that many are not informed well about the need to register for the plan with some expressing fears it is just one of the many attempts by the national government to raise revenue.

Some, like Vincent Njeru, are against the government’s plan to force them into a health scheme they do not understand.

“Why should SHIF be compulsory? I fear the government is just trying to get some money to run its projects. But I am open to discussions with it. But they have to convince me first,”he said.

It is a situation that led Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki who is also the Council of Governors health chairman to sensitise residents about the importance of registering for SHIF.

Njuki ruled the fact that out of an estimated half a million residents of his county, only 500 people had registered for SHIF so far.

In Trans Nzoia, locals said they were unable to register since the systems of the new health insurance scheme were not working.

System failure

A number of residents said they have been flocking for registration at Huduma Centres and NHIF offices but could not succeed in registering due to system failure.

“People have been coming for help to register but the system is not working,” said an NHIF official who declined to be named.

“We don’t know about the new system, I have not been bothered to register,” said Isaac Simiyu.

Isaac Korir, a resident of Trans Nzoia, he was still in the dark about the new health scheme.

“Most Kenyans don’t know how to register using their phones. The government needs to create awareness if they are serious about meeting its objective,” Korir stated.

In Nyanza, residents read malice in the system and claimed it is a ploy by the government to raise funds for projects through other means.

Some opposed SHIF on grounds that it is expensive. Those employed argued that SHIF would take more of their money

Mark Odhiambo said expressed worry that SHIF will lead to higher deductions from his salary than NHIF.

Report by Anne Atieno, James Omoro, Phares Mutembei, Boniface Gikandi, Sofia Matoya, Antony Gitonga, Nikko Tanui, James Munyeki, Willis Oketch, Marion Kithi, Renson Mnyamwezi, Osinde Obare and Martin Ndiema