How SHIF Will Weed Out Corruption Witnessed at NHIF

Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has claimed that the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) will combat corruption and inefficiencies which plagued the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). 

Nakhumicha explained that the transition to SHIF is a strategic initiative to leverage digital technology to enhance transparency and accountability in the health insurance sector.

Speaking to K24, the Health Cabinet Secretary acknowledged the issues within the NHIF, including typing errors and wrong entries, which have significantly undermined the fund’s integrity and efficiency. 

“We had typing errors and wrong entries in NHIF and we are saying that those can be taken care of easily if you have a digital system,” Nakhumicha stated.

Health Cabinet Secretaries Susan Nakhumicha announced the registration of Kenyans into the Social Health Authority in readiness for the rollout of services.

Susan Nakhumicha

SHIF which is 99% digitized, promises to minimize manual interventions, thereby reducing opportunities for errors and corruption. 

“SHIF is 99% digitized. Very few manual interventions will be there,” Nakhumicha emphasized.

In her early days in office, Nakhumicha complained that powerful cartels in the government had crippled operations at the health insurer.

In June 2023, the Cabinet Secretary suspended all NHIF branch managers accused to have been involved in the embezzlement of funds.

This shift towards a digital system is expected to streamline operations and ensure accurate record-keeping, ultimately restoring public trust in the national health insurance framework.

Moreover, Nakhumicha highlighted the importance of having competent and qualified personnel to manage the new system.

“We need to have the right people doing the right job,” she said, revealing plans to conduct a suitability test for NHIF staff. 

This evaluation will assess whether the current employees possess the necessary expertise and experience to operate the digitized system effectively. 

“We are going to have a suitability test of the staff within the NHIF as we transit them to see whether they have the expertise and experience to run the system,” she added.

In addition to tackling corruption and inefficiency, SHIF aims to address the needs of vulnerable populations. 

Nakhumicha reassured people that the government would support those lacking any form of income or capacity to engage in economic activities.

Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha held a meeting with other government officials to review the status of the rollout of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Kenya.

Felix Koskei