Recruitment of a new CEO at the graft tainted NHIF in top gear as Kamunyo term expires
The much awaited reforms at the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) that is under restructuring process to transition to the National Social Health Insurance Fund (NSHIF) is set to kick off in earnest with the recruitment of a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as incumbent Peter Kamunyo’s tenure is set to expire next month, April 14, 2023.
The Engineer Michael Kamau led NHIF board declined to renew Kamunyo’s term.
In a statement, the board said that the recruitment to fill all vacant positions will commence in due course.
“In light of the major reforms underway at the Fund as part of the Kenya Kwanza’s transformative agenda, the board has decided to open up the position of Chief Executive Officer for competitive recruitment exercise.” The statement read in part.
According to impeccable insider sources privy with the goings on at the fund, among those keen to apply for the post include the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Deputy President Dr. Erick Ruto.
Also, former CEO Geoffrey Mwangi who was sacked amid a cloud of Sh1.1billion graft charges that were withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji and subsequent dropping of the charges against him in January this year is also said to be interested in the plum post.
Both Mwangi and Ruto were not immediately available for comment.
Immediately the charges against Mwangi were withdrawn, lawyer Migos Ogamba said that his client is entitled to reinstatement as he lost the job unfairly and unprocedurally through the alleged corruption case.
“He had worked two years as CEO when the charges were brought which meant that he had to be suspended. When he requested to go back, he was told to finish the court cases. The case is done now, meaning he can properly return to the office and that is the line I am pursuing,” said lawyer Ogamba.
“Once suspended from your job and you win the case, you are supposed to be reinstated. That is what we want to do,” said lawyer Ogamba.
Mwangi was appointed CEO of the insurer in February 2016 and left the office in November 2018 following the graft case where he was facing eight criminal counts.
The DPP dropped the case after finding that no money was lost in the award of the tender to an online payment company Webtribe Limited.
The DPP also found that there was no sufficient evidence to sustain the trial and that the procurement for service for the provision of the Integrated Revenue Collection System by NHIF was done in accordance with the stipulated law and guidelines.
Kamunyo joined NHIF in 2020 having served for three years.
In the past, NHIF has been rocked by multibillion corruption scams mostly from fictitious NHIF claims of both inpatient and outpatient by private hospital owners in collusion with senior NHIF managers and board members.
Last year, Kamunyo said the fund loses Sh10 billion every year through fraudulent claims and out of the out of the Sh61 billion collected from formal, informal sector and sponsored members in the 2020-2021 financial year, more than 91 per cent was paid out to claims from the hospitals across the country amounting to Sh54 billion.
According to recordings, NHIF has 7,666 healthcare providers empaneled by NHIF including 5,833 government facilities which make 75 per cent of the providers, 1,619 private hospitals representing 21 per cent healthcare providers, and 314 faith-based facilities (four per cent).
Also, NHIF operates 156 service points across the country comprising of 70 branch offices, 33 satellite offices and service desks and counters in all 53 Huduma Centres. Currently, NHIF covers more than 23 million Kenyans, with 10.1 million being principal contributors and the rest are dependents including spouses and children.
