KMPDU criticizes new health law, labels it ‘daylight robbery’

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has castigated the new Social Health Insurance Act 2023, likening it to “daylight robbery” and saying it will only serve to undermine Kenya's public healthcare system.

The Act, among other things, established the Social Security Insurance Authority to replace the current National Insurance Fund (NHIF). It also introduced mandatory tax deduction of 2.75%, on salaried Kenyans, to help fund the new agency.

In a presser on Friday, KMPDU Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah noted that there was lack of consideration given to the memos submitted by the union and disregard for their proposals concerning the new law.

The union pointed out that the Act was passed hastily without even addressing any NHIF issues that had previously been tabled.

The doctors’ union termed this as an intentional misallocation of resources by the government, further adding that it is a ploy to exploit Kenyan citizens.

“In Kenya 80 percent of our people work in the informal sector and this law is going to discriminate against them by making them contribute upfront the entire annual amount unlike their formally employed counterparts who will contribute monthly. The act then claims to cure this injustice by the government promising to give them ‘premium financial products’(interpret as loans) to help them pay, at whose benefit?” Posed Dr. Atellah.

"We urge all Kenyans to say No and join us in passing a clear message that we are not happy with these developments disguised in the flowery language of universal health coverage provision."

Dr. Atellah also pointed out that despite the Act being clear that its regulations will be developed by the Social Health Authority’s Board, the regulations are already being developed without the Board being in place and without the input of all parties including Council of Governors who are key stakeholders as health is a devolved function.

“We demand that the fund be disbursed to the counties by the Commission of Revenue Allocation and not managed by Social Health Authority as this will undermine devolution and affect the service delivery by perennial delays as we have seen with the funds meant for the education sector. We call upon the Governors to join us in this push for funds to follow function,” he stated.

"We want to promise the architects of this daylight robbery that we shall not accept any attempts to take back the gains that we have made as a country around health financing."

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