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{
    "id": 678843,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/678843/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 277,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I urge the Mover of this Bill to look at Section 4 of Cap. 255and come up with a better formula for the NHIF Board. This is a Board of 12 people and we are now proposing to add another person coming from the CoG; that will be a board of 13. That is too busy. When I was in the private sector, we were taught that the ideal size of a board would be a number that could best be fed on one big pizza. In other words seven or nine could be ideal. Regarding the number of members in this board, we can relook at it and offer a better approach. Some organisations that we know have become moribund. Secondly, the Bill proposes to reduce penalties on lapses. I support that because the current plan talks of five times the amount in default. Sen. Wangari proposes that should be twice. There needs to be an argument whether when you lapse you are still under cover. We are talking of premiums. Those contributions are basically insurance premiums. So, if you do not pay your premium for a month or two, then your cover has basically lapsed. This is not a life insurance where there will be a fund, an investment and a projection of some benefits or sum assured at the end of the term of the policy. Therefore, it cannot be that when someone lapses for whatever reason then the fine is that punitive. If it has to be punitive on anybody, it should be on an employer. We need to differentiate and say that the fine on an employer who fails to remit contributions of employees should be much higher than even the five times. Why should an employer fail to remit an employee’s contribution yet they have already deducted that from the employee? This will ensure that we have a different set of penalties for the house help who earns Kshs10,000 or Kshs15,000 and maybe has paid been late by her employer then she forgot to remit her contribution. Those two categories need to be treated separately. There can be no forgiveness for an employer who has already deducted NHIF dues from an employee and fails to remit the same. As we go ahead we can look at those two distinctions. The third key thrust of this Bill is to drop the reference to the Workman’s Compensation Act which has become defunct. A dignified society should strive to offer certain things to its citizen. One should be food. I do not think we have reached the level of a dignified society as a nation because we still find malnourished children because that cannot get food, yet in some parts of the country, people are pouring milk and throwing away maize for lack of market. It is a good thing that this Senate has already come up with a food security Bill which I believe has become an Act of Parliament and I believe has already been assented to. That Bill was processed in this House to ensure that no Kenyan goes hungry. Secondly, a dignified society should provide shelter. The situation where our slums like Kibera have become tourist attractions where pop idols such as Madonna come to take photos and they do so in the worst of corners of those slums so that they can raise funds globally for their own charities is completely unacceptable. We must come up with a policy which ensures that all Kenyans have a right to descent shelter which is a right already in the Constitution. We only need to come up with enabling legislation. Thirdly, is education. Already we are toying with free primary and secondary education. Lastly, is healthcare. The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) should be the agent through which we achieve universal health care. When you listen to top The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate"
}