President Wiliam Ruto has warned individuals stopping government major projects by filing cases in court to pursue personal interests.
Ruto, while speaking on December 14 in Baringo County, during Kimalel Goat Auction, lashed out at unnamed persons sabotaging the Digital Health Bill.
At the time, Ruto claimed that the people behind the cases are known and are worried that the reforms would drive them out of business.
“You know there are people who have taken us to court that they do not want the new policy on Health Insurance because they are used to stealing money at the National Hospital Insurance Fund – NHIF,” said Ruto.
Ruto calls out NHIF cartels
Additionally, Ruto noted that the court cases against the health bill UHC are sponsored by beneficiaries of corruption at NHIF.
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“We are not going to accept blackmail because of the characters who are sponsoring court cases against UHC since they are the people who are beneficiaries of corruption in NHIF,” said Ruto.
According to the head of state, the individuals blocking government projects with cases are trying to evade the accountability that comes along with the new legislation.
Similarly, Ruto while calling out cartels in the healthcare sector, sounded an alarm noting that they will not go anywhere as he is after them.
“Those individuals who want to steal from us will not defeat the government. We will bring them down. I want to tell them it will not go on anymore,” a tough-talking Ruto affirmed.
Activist Lobby’s Case against Govt
Meanwhile, the government suffered a major blow after the High Court suspended the planned implementation of the Social Health Insurance Act 2023 by the Ministry of Health until February 2024.
In a ruling delivered by Justice Chacha Mwita on Monday, November 27, 2023, the court temporarily stopped the Kenya Kwanza administration from enforcing three new funds gazette by Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha pending the determination of a case lodged in court by activist Joseph Enock.
“In the meantime, a conservatory order is hereby issued restraining the respondents (President William Ruto, CSs in the Ministry of Health and Information, the Attorney General, Commission for Revenue Collection, The National Assembly and the Senate), their agents and or anyone acting on their directives from implementing and or enforcing the Social Health Insurance Act,2023; The Primary Health Care Act, 2023 and the Digital Health Act,2023 until February 7, 2024,” Justice Mwita ordered.
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At the time, the judge granted the respondents and their agents seven days to file their responses.
Worth noting, the orders of the court came two days before the Act was signed into law, which repealed the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and established three new funds, came into effect.
The three new funds include the Primary Healthcare Fund, Social Health Insurance Fund and Chronic Illness and Emergency Fund.
