Ruto defends NHIF shift to Taifa care

In efforts to realize Universal Health Coverage, President William Ruto has defended his administrations move to transition Kenyans to the new Taifa Care.

Speaking in Kakamega during the burial of the late Malava Member of Parliament Moses Malulu Injendi at his rural home in Lukusi village, President Ruto said the move was meant to eliminate corruption that crippled the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).

The Head of State dismissed claims of fraud and accused unscrupulous individuals who benefited from NHIF for financial gain.

“The noise you hear from people on social media and in the newspapers is coming from those who were stealing from us during the NHIF days. These are brokers. I saw some of them say that the government will use one hundred billion for the system,” said President Ruto.

“We want to fix the fraud problems of the past. A lot of the money collected by NHIF was stolen by scammers and fraudsters who pretended to have hospitals. Fake claims and fraudulent claims used up almost 40% of the funds that NHIF was raising. This will not happen again as long as I am President,” he added.

He explained that with the new system, set up by a consortium of technology companies will ensure that there are no fraudulent claims.

“The people complaining are the ones who have been stealing from us, and they don’t want a working technology system because they want to continue stealing. I want to tell them that stealing is over. MOVE ON. No public funds will be misused, no matter how many times you fill the newspapers trying to force us to go back to the old NHIF system,” he said.

In his speech, the President eulogized the late Malava MP as a gifted and firm leader who served his constituents with distinction.

“He noted that He was focused, hardworking and tirelessly championed for women’s empowerment. Moses was simply a good man! Mheshimiwa’s remarkable work in Malava Constituency — especially in education — will forever guide, shape and influence our future.”