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{
    "id": 1092147,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1092147/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 192,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Nominated, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Wilson Sossion",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13171,
        "legal_name": "wilson sossion",
        "slug": "wilson-sossion"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support the NHIF (Amendment) Bill, 2021. From the Report of the Departmental Committee on Health, this is, indeed, part of the alignment of the health sector to the implementation of the Big Four Agenda. One of the Big Four Agenda is the healthcare system. Since the inception of the NHIF in this country in 1966, it has basically served the interests of Kenyans who are actively employed in various sectors and are able to statutorily contribute to the scheme. The fact of the matter is that millions of Kenyans are unable to meet their healthcare needs. Of course, the active debate to ensure that all citizens are brought on board is noble. As Kenya aspires to be a middle-income country, it cannot be without ensuring that its population is healthy. It should not just be healthy, but the healthcare system should be strong and delivering. That is one of the key indicators of any economy that aspires to improve the livelihoods of citizens. The healthcare of households will really be very critical. Through this amendment, a number of issues have been addressed. One of them is the management of the Fund. With the experience of working with the Fund, we have witnessed several challenges of the Fund over the years, and I believe that this is what the amendment is seeking to address - the management. It is one thing to fund the Fund and it is also another huge and completely different business to ensure that the Fund is managed well. Therefore, stating the minimum qualifications of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the general structure of the Fund is good. That is because, at the end of the day, it is the leadership of the Fund that will deliver the intended services. There is also another key challenge. It is easy to talk about the Big Four Agenda while the key aspect of driving the Fund is not addressed, and that is basically funding. The key thing is funding. All the Big Four Agenda is about funding. If we get the fund and manage it well, then we will definitely deliver. I would like to concentrate on the funding. With experience of working at NHIF and, of course, the approach of Government, it must address the aspect of funding. If the NHIF is intended to cover all Kenyans, then those who can contribute through statutory deductions and through voluntary contributions should be compelled to do so mandatorily through this Bill. We cannot have a UHC if it does not cover all Kenyans. The last category of Kenyans that are unable to pay, that is, the indigence, is what the Government must finance. Therefore, it has to be very clear that in every annual budget, the Government must be very clear about the funding to the indigence. The number of the indigents and the allocation per person must be known so that it is not just the participation of contributors, workers and voluntary contributors. We risk over- burdening the Fund by rolling in indigents who are not properly covered. For the first time, the Bill is mentioning the issue of the Government supporting the indigents. However, it will be necessary to move forward at the implementation level now that there is a piece of legislation so that the Treasury can always set aside funds to cover the indigents. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}