Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has defended the contentious Finance Bill 2023 saying those opposing it should consider the many positive parts that concern the health of Kenyans.
She spoke on Friday when she represented Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi during the Kakamega Heritage Foundation tree planting event in the Iloro area within Kakamega forest, Shinyalu constituency.
The CS said some people were painting the Bill in bad light without looking at the positive things it envisages especially on health of the ordinary Kenyans.
Nakhumicha cited the National Health Insurance Fund whose monthly contribution will be reduced from Sh500 to Sh300.
"The government has reduced NHIF Monthly payment which previously used to cost a minimum Sh500 but in the current Finance Bill, we are going to be paying a minimum of Sh300," she said.
"Isn’t that beneficial? So why are people talking about the negatives and forgetting the positives?" the CS posed.
She added that the government has given a tax exemption to Bio-pharmaceuticals for those intending to manufacture drugs, insulin and vaccines in Kenya.
"That means the cost of those products is going to come down and that is something positive about this Finance Bill and Kenyans must know about it," she said.
"The government has also put VAT exemption on any rights and benefits derived from manufacturing of vaccines," the CS added.
"The government is encouraging people to come and set up vaccine manufacturing plants and manufacture vaccines that would save the lives so as not to lose lives like during the Coronavirus attack," the CS explained.
The Cabinet secretary also said the government has recruited 100,000 community health promoters in order to take care of 100 households each.
"And we are going to do a merging fund for community health promoters, whatever the county government is giving you we are going to merge that figure so that you have something good in your pockets as community health promoters," Nakhumicha said.
