Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, along with two other petitioners, has filed a legal challenge against the planned launch of Kenya’s Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), scheduled for today, October 1.
The move adds another hurdle to the already contentious rollout of the government’s new healthcare initiative.
Omtatah announced via social media that he, Eliud Matindi, and Magare Gikenyi have petitioned the court to halt the SHIF launch and nullify the government’s contracts with service providers involved in the program.
Filed a court petition together with Eliud Matindi & Magare Gikenyi to stop the launch of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), we also seek to quash the contract between the government and the Safaricom Consortium, citing concerns over the lack of legislation to… pic.twitter.com/Y2rEfMOeE3
— Okiya Omtatah Okoiti (@OkiyaOmtatah) October 1, 2024
The senator argues that the implementation of SHIF is unconstitutional due to the absence of necessary subsidiary legislation.
The petition also targets a consortium of three private entities contracted by the government to provide an Integrated Healthcare Information Technology System for Universal Health Care. Omtatah and his co-petitioners are seeking to suspend and eventually annul this contract.
This legal action comes amid growing public concern and confusion surrounding the SHIF rollout.
Social media has been abuzz with worried citizens sharing stories of potential disruptions to their healthcare access.
One notable case involved DJ Krowbar, who reported that his wife was informed she would need to pay for dialysis treatment out-of-pocket starting October 1, as her existing health insurance would no longer be accepted.
This SHIF/SHA thing just threw a huge curve ball on all dialysis patients country wide.
My wife just got a call from her dialysis centre where it’s paid via @NhifKenya and told to pay cash together with thousands others.
PS: One dialysis session is 9,500/- and my wife does two.
— DJ KROWBAR (@DJKrowbar) September 30, 2024
In response to the mounting public outcry, Social Health Authority (SHA) CEO Elijah Wachira issued a statement to hospitals, clarifying that essential services such as dialysis, cancer treatments, and maternity care should continue uninterrupted.
Wachira emphasized that no member should be denied these critical health services.
— Social Health Authority (@_shakenya) October 1, 2024
Adding to the complexity of the situation, private hospitals report being left in limbo, having not received formal contracts from the government regarding their role in the new health insurance model.
The legal challenge and public confusion underscore the significant hurdles facing the implementation of Kenya’s new health insurance system. As the court considers Omtatah’s petition, the government faces pressure to address concerns and provide clarity on the SHIF rollout to ensure uninterrupted healthcare access for Kenyans.
