Ruto: NHIF's monthly contribution to be 2.7% of one's salary

"We will agree with them how we will pay these health promoters. And we will share 50-50. Every county that contributes any money we will match."

Piece by: Grace Muia
News

• President Ruto said that there is a need to have a mechanism to contribute to health services and Kenyans will start contributing according to their income.

President William Ruto.
Image: PSCU

President William Ruto has announced that Kenyans who earn low income will start paying Ksh.300 to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) from the current Ksh.500.

Speaking during the Labour Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi on Monday, President Ruto said that there is a need to have a mechanism to contribute to health services and Kenyans will start contributing according to their income.

"I pay Ksh. 1,700 every month and the vegetable mother pays 500 to get an NHIF card. My salary is Ksh. 1 million and the vegetable mother gets Ksh. 5,000.

We have changed the contribution formula and those who were paying Ksh. 500 now pay Ksh. 300 from July," he said.

Apart from this cadre, the Head of State noted that Kenyans will start donating 2.7% of their income to the NHIF.

"And I who was paying Ksh.1000 will pay Ksh.27,500 and others in the middle will pay according to their salaries so that each of us will contribute 2.7% of his income to NHIF and we will carry this health burden equally."

Emphasizing his mission to provide quality health services to Kenyans, President Ruto noted that many Kenyans are drowning in poverty due to medical bills and the insurance will help to a large extent to prevent relapse.

At the same time, President Ruto added that the government will initiate a voluntary program aimed at having 100,000 community health promoters who will help in providing health services to Kenyans at the bottom of the pyramid.

The volunteers, Ruto said, will be paid by the county government and the state on a 50-50 basis.

"In every 100 families there will be one community health promoter who will visit each family every month and we will give them equipment to check blood pressure, weight and deal with diseases in the early stages," he said.

"We will agree with them on how we will pay these health promoters. And we will share 50-50. Every county that contributes any money we will match."

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