The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) has published guidelines which will allow men to get medical cover for multiple wives, if Parliament approves the proposed law.
If approved, this will mark a departure from the regular medical insurance norms
Moreover, the guidelines have a clause providing medical coverage to polygamous families on condition that the male member pays an extra Sh500 for the additional wives.
This move is different from the current NHIF rules that only cover one spouse and a maximum of five children.
Likewise, most private insurance firms acknowledge the principal member, one registered spouse and up to four children for medical covers, especially those backed by employers.
Moreover, those with two wives are often forced to have another cover for the second wife who is listed as the principal member.
NHIF’s move to recognize multiple wives comes more than eight years after former President Uhuru Kenyatta signed into law a marriage Bill legalizing polygamy.
“Where a standard contributor includes more than one spouse as a beneficiary, the contributor shall remit an additional contribution to the Fund, the rate of the additional contribution referred to in the sub-regulation shall be five hundred shillings in respect of each spouse,” says a new clause in the republished regulations.
Furthermore, NHIF is seeking community input on the new regulations ahead of parliamentary approval for the new rates and the clause backing members with multiple wives.
According to the data from the Kenya Population and Housing Census almost 1.5 million Kenyans or 10 percent of the married population are in a polygamous marriage. However, women rights groups say this is a gross underestimate as most of these marriages are customary and not registered.
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Nevertheless, despite growing modernity and awareness of women’s rights, polygamy remains legal in most African nations and is prevalent across society, from farmers to senior politicians and top executives.
However, Church leaders in Kenya have opposed the clause in the marriage law approving polygamy, saying it undermines Christian principles of marriage and family.
In addition, the law abolished the practice of unofficial and unregistered traditional marriages which could be ended without any legal divorce proceedings.
It has been eight years since the enactment of the marriage legislation, but the Insurance Act is yet to be reviewed to reflect the change.
