Summary
- The gathering at the Hall of the Law School of Tanzania (LST), was graced by High Court Judge, Asina Omar, who also serves at the Temeke One Stop Judicial Centre
The National Assembly Health Committee is next week, expected to launch a public inquiry into fraud that has been reported at the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).
There has been public outrage over fraudulent activities at the national health insurer after claims rogue NHIF bosses have been colluding with some private hospitals to defraud Kenyans.
The chairman of the committee Robert Pukose raised concerns that rogue officials at NHIF, in collaboration with hospitals, defrauded Kenyans.
Pukose said the committee will convene next week to establish the terms of reference for the inquiry, and invite all relevant stakeholders to present their views on fraud reported at the national insurer.
"We, as a committee, cannot turn a blind eye to the misappropriation of public resources within NHIF. The only path to uncover the truth behind the NHIF crisis is through a public inquiry," said Pukose.
Speaking on Wednesday during an interactive meeting with top NHIF management, Pukose said the rogue employees defraud Kenyans through unsubstantiated and fictional claims.
“The only way to salvage the deteriorating state of the fund is to launch a comprehensive investigation that may result in significant personnel changes at the NHIF,” added the chair.
The committee’s move is taken a week after Health CS Susan Nakhumicha ordered investigations into the scandal.
Ms Nakhumicha directed the NHIF board, KMPDC and Pharmaceutical Board of Kenya, and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to carry out a thorough investigation following allegations that employees of NHIF coax hospitals to steal money from innocent Kenyans.
Further, the committee will explore the preferential treatment given to privately owned healthcare facilities at the expense of public hospitals.
Also in attendance at the meeting was Prof Guyo Wago Jaldesa who said though public hospitals serve more patients as compared to private hospitals, it remains unclear why NHIF remit more money to private hospitals.
“It is inconceivable that a private hospital could perform more surgeries than renowned institutions such as Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), let alone both combined. Clearly, these claims are baseless,” questioned Jaldesa.
The sentiments on overpayment to public hospitals were echoed by Nyeri Town MP Dancun Mathenge noted that a public inquiry is the only way to expose the corruption at NHIF.
Mathenge said there are claims that a number of private hospitals submit exorbitant claims to NHIF for surgeries, surpassing the number performed at KNH and MTRH
“It is disheartening that 60 per cent of NHIF payments go to private health facilities, especially considering that the privileged hospitals are those with close connections to NHIF's top brass. Meanwhile, legitimate service providers struggle to operate due to unpaid dues," said Mathenge.
Appearing before the National Health Committee probing NHIF fraud last week, Health CS Susan Nakhumicha also raised an issue with the overpayment of NHIF remittance fees to private hospitals and promised to have the issue addressed.
For example, eight hospitals in Nairobi and Meru counties which were accused of stealing from Kenyans are reported to have allegedly been paid at least Sh1.54 billion for 30,111 claims made between July 2022 and June 2023.
Another report of 2021 by the Economic and Social Rights Centre-Hakijamii, Centre for Human Rights and Global Justice at New York University School of Law (CHRGJ) noted that though NHIF is a public insurer, it favours the private sector for which it may not have been established to benefit.
For example, according to the report, out of Sh14 billion NHIF spends annually on claims in Nairobi, Sh11 billion goes to private hospitals.
Mogotio MP Reuben Kiborek also supported the proposal for a public inquiry, saying fraudulent activities at the NHIF have persisted over time, and have unfortunately not been acted upon, an issue that has made Kenyans lose trust in the public insurer.
“If we aim to establish Universal Health Insurance (UHC), we must address the deep-rooted corruption at NHIF, even if it entails removing the entire NHIF board of management and directors," said Kiborek. By Mercy Kahenda, The Standard
PalmPay, a pioneering Africa-focused fintech platform, is celebrating a significant landmark in its journey, marking 25 million users on its app and an extensive network of 500,000 mobile money agents and 300,000 merchants in its payments ecosystem. This rapid growth within just four years of its market entry in Nigeria is testament to the company's robust strategy centered on offering secure, user-friendly and inclusive financial services.
Sofia Zab, Global CMO, PalmPay: "We are proud to be a driving force of financial inclusion and cashless payment adoption in Nigeria. PalmPay's growth validates our approach and illustrates the increasing demand for innovative fintech solutions that address the unique needs of Africa's underserved population."
PalmPay's user-friendly application simplifies digital transactions, making them swift and convenient. This has driven a shift in consumer behaviour from cash to digital payments. Today, the company processes more than $5 billion per month. The PalmPay app offers a comprehensive suite of financial services that empower its customers with tools to manage their finances in one place.
This week, the company is launching its savings service, which include a 20% annual interest savings plan available to all users. The fintech also provides banking services for businesses, equipping them with dedicated apps, web portal and POS. PalmPay's efforts in promoting financial inclusion have been notably impactful, with around 30% of its users stating that their first-ever financial account was created on the app.
Its expansive network of mobile money agents help users deposit and withdraw money and guide consumers on how to use the PalmPay app. Its agents also serve consumers who do not have access to smartphones by transacting on their behalf, thereby extending access to PalmPay's services to millions of additional people.
The company's success in Nigeria has been propelled by its proprietary payment infrastructure, which offers unmatched reliability in a market that has long grappled with unstable financial systems. The platform boasts a 99.5% 10-second transaction success rate, distinguishing PalmPay in a highly competitive fintech space.
"PalmPay is more than a digital wallet - we are building a comprehensive platform to offer consumers all the tools they need to thrive financially. As we move forward, our aim is to become Africa's financial superapp. ", added Zab. "Our partners benefit from our robust payment infrastructure and data-driven approach, which enables us to connect their offerings directly to their target customers, fostering mutual growth within our digital ecosystem."
The company's next strategic step is to bridge the gap between consumers and businesses by digitising merchant payments. PalmPay is onboarding tens of thousands of offline retailers every month, many of whom are spurred to join the platform following requests from its customers who want to be able to pay with transfer.
Chika Nwosu, Managing Director, PalmPay Nigeria: "The consumer base has now become one of the major driving forces of wider cashless adoption in the Nigerian payments ecosystem. We see an enormous potential in digitising payments for the retail and informal economy, which reduces their cost of doing business and helps them build the digital track record to qualify for credit and other financial services."
Looking ahead, PalmPay is extending its operations to more countries and plans to offer cross-border transactions in future. The company is already piloting services in Ghana and is preparing launch plans for several other African markets. Pie Kamau, Africa Tech
Dar es Salaam. Stakeholders from Ireland and Tanzania met here yesterday to discuss and approve a book of collection of decided cases on sexual violence against children from the two countries.
The gathering at the Hall of the Law School of Tanzania (LST), was graced by High Court Judge, Asina Omar, who also serves at the Temeke One Stop Judicial Centre.
It was coordinated by the Institute of Judicial Administration (IJA) with the funding of the Irish Rule of Law International (IRLI) through the Irish Embassy in Tanzania.
Opening the one-day meeting, Judge Asina said the book containing various cases that provide important reference for various people, including those involved in the protection of child rights and the fight against sexual violence on children.
"This book contains cases that have been decided by the High Court of Tanzania and the Court of Appeal of Tanzania as well as cases from Ireland related to sexual violence against children.
“So, when completed, it will be an easy reference for various people including us as judges, magistrates, prosecutors and those teaching about children's rights," said Judge Asina.
IRLI Programme Manager, Sean McHale, who spoke at the meeting via video conferencing, noted that cases of child abuse should be dealt with early. “That is why our institution has been part of the preparation of the book,” said the manager.
Retired High Court Judge, Sophia Wambura explained some of the reasons that have been contributing to gender and sexual violence against children, including adults sleeping with their children in the same room.
"This issue of children has many challenges, if we go back to family upbringing, you find a young man gets married and lives in the same room with his two or three children.
“We sometimes do things in the room, thinking that the children are asleep while they are not, the next day they tell each other what they saw at night. So these things start when the children are still young," noted retired Judge Sophia.
The meeting was also attended other retired Judges and representatives from the ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and the ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups.
Others who attended the meeting included resident magistrates and judges, prosecutors, state attorneys, a representative from the Gender Desk at the Police Force headquarters, social welfare officers, lawyers association (TLS), association of women judges and magistrates.
The book is under a joint preparation between IRLI and IJA as the Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions was signed in March, 2023, with the aim of enhancing cooperation in the area of the child’s rights. The Citizen
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