The Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has rejected the proposed reforms by President William Ruto on NHIF.
According to KMPDU secretary general Davji Atellah, Ruto cannot purport increase deductions from salaries of Kenyans workers to boost the fund.
Speaking on Tuesday, he said it is the same government that slashed the Fund's budget and deducting up to 2.75 per cent of workers pay is not welcome.
Atellah insisted that what workers expect is an increase in their salaries instead of more deductions.
"Civil servants’ medical allowance was removed from payslip to cover NHIF comprehensive services. And now without a medical allowance or salary increases," he said.
"We cannot subject ourselves to extractive action on workers’ payslips. Instead, workers expect a salary increase to deal with the cost of living and inflation,” read his statement.
The KMPDU boss noted the national and county governments had so far directed over Sh120 billion of remittances from NHIF to private insurance companies.
Atellah was responding to President Ruto's remarks during Labour Day on Monday.
During the celebrations, the head of state announced that his administration is working on changing the contribution formula for NHIF.
Ruto said those who have been contributing Sh500 will now contribute Sh300 per month. This applies to the self-employed and those in the informal sector.
In the proposed reforms, Kenyans earning a gross salary of Sh50,000 will contribute Sh1,350 monthly, those with Sh100,000 will contribute Sh2,700 per month.
Ruto said his contribution to the fund will increase from Sh1,700 to Sh27,500.
“Everyone one of us is going to contribute 2.7 per cent of their earning to NHIF so that we can carry this load of health equally,” the president said.
He insisted that; "It does not make sense that the president pays Sh1,700 every month and the normal mwananchi pays Sh600 to have NHIF. My salary is Sh1 million, and the boda boda guy earns an average of Sh5,000. Is it sensible?”
