Aukot petitions Parliament to amend NHIF to cover COVID-19 patients

The Thirdway Alliance Party of Kenya has petitioned the National Assembly to amend a section of laws to create more funds which will be directed to the Ministry of Health.

In the petition signed by Party Leader Ekuru Aukot, the alliance has asked MPs to amend the National Hospital Insurance Fund in order to create and fund a special national group cover for all Covid-19 related ailments.

“That there is an urgent need for the National Assembly to re-allocate funds from non-salary recurrent expenditure from all ministries and state-owned enterprises and to establish an emergency fund to enable the Ministry of Health and the 47 Counties procure adequate medical equipment,” the petition read.

The party also wants the parliament to re-allocate all non-salary recurrent expenditure and reallocate over 90 per cent of all recurrent budget for the period April to June 2022 to a specific emergency fund that will cater for Covid-19 healthcare equipment, recruitment of healthcare professionals, and acquisition of ventilators as well as feeding the vulnerable.

According to the party, at least Sh50 billion can be collected from all ministerial and parliamentary budgets including the Office of the Presidency.

“We are optimistic that this will yield at least, Sh50 billion,” the petition adds.

Aukot’s party has also asked the National Assembly to pass legislation that will ensure that all public hospitals and dispensaries are equipped with adequate Covid-19 testing kits, protective clothing for healthcare workers, ambulances among other items.

In its petition, it has asked the parliament to pass legislation to establish at least a Sh50 billion revolving fund to be availed to individuals, micro and small business enterprises.

“This will enable individuals like digital taxi drivers, bartenders, small traders, Jua Kali artisans, small scale farmers, amongst others, to have access to liquidity during this COVID-19 period,” the party said.

MPs have also been asked to amend applicable laws that will reduce the specific indirect taxes and levies charged per litre of petrol, diesel, and kerosene by, at least Sh20 per litre to cushion the transport industry and also to forestall a rise in the cost of living.

Thirdway Alliance wants the National Assembly to amend the applicable laws to exempt electricity tariffs from indirect taxes and levies.

The party has said the curfew imposed by President Uhuru Kenyatta as a way of curbing further spread of the virus has put Kenyans into a difficult state of affairs.

Impact on the economy

The party has raised concern over the country’s economy in this time of the pandemic.

Some Kenyans have already been rendered jobless after the government gave an order that all bars should be close.

It has further said that many hotel workers are out of work and the majority of informal businesses are not generating any revenues as the effective demand has nose-dived.

“This situation also has a direct impact on the ability of government to collect taxes,” part of the petition reads.

The party also wants the National Assembly to pass legislation to recall the Kenya Defense Forces from Somalia and compel the National government to negotiate with the African Union to deploy Amisom soldiers from countries that do not share a border with Somalia.

The Aukot-led party wants legal mechanisms put in place to enable the military guard and police our borders effectively.

This, they said, will enable the National Assembly to reallocate more than Sh20 billion of the military budget to the specific emergency fund towards Covid-19.

Also, the party said the decision by some of the county governments to close food markets will affect food supply in the country and food prices may skyrocket and that all these will have a devastating impact to the economy if will not have a quick solution.

“That it is important and urgent that we protect our people from COVID-19 and imminent starvation at the same time as we can afford to make laws to revive the economy later but we do not have the privilege to make laws that can bring people back to life,” reads the petition.

Their petition comes as the Senate is expected to have special sittings from today to debate measures to mitigate the spread of the virus and cushion Kenyans from the effects of the pandemic.

The petition dated March 30 was signed by the Aukot, party National Chairman Miruru Waweru, National Deputy Chairperson Joyce Liarumbe and National Organising Secretary Andrew Mola Ilere.

Others are National Women Leader Giovanna Bunei, National Deputy Treasurer Daniel Rono, National Youth Leader Joan Lagat and the party National Treasurer/Executive Director Andrew Njoroge.