Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah has strongly criticized the roll-out of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) on Tuesday. In a statement to newsrooms, Dr. Atellah condemned the new national medical insurance scheme, describing it as a failure that will deprive Kenyans of essential healthcare services.
“SHIF is a capsizing ship! There’s too much bilge water for it to sail. We’ve opposed the Act since November 2023, with one clear message: it will block Kenyans from accessing healthcare,” he stated.
Dr. Atellah also expressed concerns over the government’s decision to switch from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to SHIF, arguing that the previous scheme offered better benefits than private sector insurance plans.
“A social insurance law with a co-payment component is a scam. We’ve consistently said the comprehensive medical coverage provided by NHIF was far superior to all other private insurance options,” he said. “The transition was crafted to benefit private insurance companies. For civil servants, this is a double tragedy and theft that we cannot stand by and watch.”
Dr. Atellah further condemned the increased SHIF deductions, which he claimed would heavily burden taxpayers.
Under SHIF, Kenyans will contribute 2.75% of their income. Employed individuals will pay monthly, while those in the informal sector will make a single annual payment. For instance, someone earning Ksh.20,000 per month will now contribute Ksh.6,600 annually, while those earning Ksh.100,000 will see their monthly contribution rise from Ksh.1,700 to Ksh.2,700.
There is no cap on contributions—those earning Ksh.500,000 per month will contribute Ksh.13,750 monthly, or Ksh.165,000 annually, while top corporate executives earning up to Ksh.10 million per month will face deductions of Ksh.275,000 per month, totaling Ksh.3.3 million annually.
In terms of services, all members, regardless of income, will receive a primary healthcare package worth up to Ksh.900 annually, which will cover consultations, laboratory tests, and prescriptions. Optical care for each family will be capped at Ksh.1,000 per year, and dental coverage will offer a maximum of Ksh.2,000, available only once there is a budgetary allocation.
For cancer screening, while rates have been set, cancer-specific screening will not be available immediately. Additionally, for individuals needing to monitor their blood sugar, an HbA1c test will be covered at Ksh.1,000, but only once per year.
“We gave up our medical allowance for comprehensive medical coverage, which has now been stripped away, and yet we’re being asked to pay five times more—this is madness,” said Dr. Atellah.
“We’ve taken this fight to the courts, including the Court of Appeal. Even the MPs who passed this Act seem unaware of its impact. With these SHIF tariffs, everyone will be forced to dig deeper into their pockets to get healthcare. Public healthcare is being deliberately defunded and made dysfunctional.”
