The now forcibly payment for NHIF and now all inclusive benefits have two sides to it. The cause might be just but should we force it down Kenyans who are heavily taxed and face myriad of problems? One might ask do the public health facilities have the capacity and resources to deliver the new promised benefits?
We all know the long queues, the sluggish staff, the smells and what not witnessed at major public health facilities. We visit them and wish we could never have to visit again. It should also be noted there has been great improvement but we need to stay on cause for these reforms to take root and become the norm rather than the rule.
I do pity the work force that is facing an imminent involuntary axing of their hard earned cash. IT is debatable but my take is that we cannot increase such a mandatory deduction six times in a flash. Already COTU’s secretary general cries foul for he reasons that NHIF has not been properly accounting its financial reports.
The bible is very categorical when it states that ”….he who is faithful with little will be faithful with much…” now that their honesty is in question can we trust them with more(read six times More)? I doubt there is enough goodwill for such kind of raise in mandatory contribution. My suggestion is that if it is a must they do raise then they either raise by half or allow the public to vote on well thought options. Let them create a Committee of Health , Public & Financial Experts. Let a draft be done let the masses read, comment and we can vote. They increase taxes at will this should never be the culture. We need transparency with little and with more we need quadruple of that.
Lunani Joseph 