Kenya's Health Minister Susan Nakhumicha announced the suspension of operations at 27 hospitals nationwide Friday following a multimillion-dollar loss attributed to fraudulent activities affecting the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

Nakhumicha said the decision follows the exposure of a substantial loss of 20 billion Kenyan shillings ($126.7 million) during an investigation.

"The widespread nature of these alleged fraudulent cases is deeply concerning, the list of implicated facilities includes instances of induced demand, particularly targeting vulnerable citizens, notably older individuals," she said.

Nakhumicha disclosed that an extensive investigation into the fraud uncovered the misappropriation of funds between January and December 2023.

Out of 67 audited hospitals, 27 were found to be engaged in various fraudulent activities, compromising the integrity of the NHIF.

"Fictitious records, manufactured claims, and deceptive practices, such as falsely indicating members undergoing major surgeries while actively at work, have all contributed to defrauding the fund," said the Health Ministry.

The malpractice ranged from inducing sickness to activating dormant NHIF accounts of members to finance medically unwarranted treatments.

Nakhumicha expressed deep concern about the deceptive tactics employed by some hospitals, including the creation of fictitious records and the submission of manufactured claims. - Andrew Wasike, Anadolu Agency

Ten people were arrested over the weekend in Kabale Municipality for allegedly smoking in public.  

They were arrested in an operation headed by Patience Mutetsi, an official from the Tobacco Control  Program in the ministry of Health, Gilbert Mateeka, Kabale district health officer, Andrew Beija, Kabale Municipality health inspector, and the police.   

The operation was conducted in Kigongi, Keita, Nkunda, Rwakarara, and Bugongi. Seven people were arrested after they were allegedly found red-handed smoking in public while three were arrested for displaying and openly selling cigarettes.

Mutetsi said that whereas the law only allows a person to smoke when they are 50 meters away from the public, investigations indicate that this hasn’t been the case in Kabale. She says that the arrested risk being fined.

Mateeka says that authorities have embarked on sensitization to the public to explain how hazardous it is to smoke while in a public place.  

Article 12 of the Tobacco Control Act which was enacted in 2015 prohibits smoking in public places or any public transport and other outdoor places. The offenders of a crime of such nature are liable to pay a fine of 20 currency points or a jail sentence of not less than 6 months by a competent court.      

The law is aimed at protecting the environment from the effects of producing tobacco and exposure to tobacco smoke hence reducing related deaths. - URN/The Observer

Local government officials in Kigali, on Saturday, December 2, launched a two-day campaign to sensitize people about the dangers of gender-based violence (GVB).

The effort is part of the 16 Days of Activism against GBV, an annual international campaign that kicks off on November 25 and runs until December 10.

In Kigali, various places including Karama model village in Nyarugenge District, Club Rafiki and Maison de Jeunes, hosted events aimed at sensitizing people about GBV, in addition to offering services like screening for Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and HIV.

At Karama model village, Mireille Batamuliza, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Gender and Family promotion, tipped the audience on the four types of GBV and urged them to play a role in fighting them.

She noted that GBV can be categorized into physical violence, psychological violence, sexual violence, and socio-economic abuse.

Institutions where people can report GBV cases include Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) and Isange One Stop Centre which have a toll-free number 116.

While the government has been proactive in the fight against gender-based violence, including the criminalisation of GBV in 2008 and the introduction of an anti-GBV policy in 2011, the problem is still widespread.

From January to November, the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) received 8,678 GBV cases. Out of these, 3,803 cases made their way to court, and 4,267 cases were successfully resolved. Among the total cases, 4,364 cases involved child defilement.

Marc Baxmann, the Deputy Head of Cooperation at the German Embassy, one the key partners with Rwanda in the fight against GBV, told The New Times that the problem is widespread across the globe and requires concerted efforts to deal with it.

Through the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), the German embassy in Rwanda is supporting a project called “Preventing Gender-based Violence” which features a wide range of activities including working with peer educators and social workers to raise awareness on GBV, as well as supporting Isange One Stop Centers where people go to get advice and care when they are confronted by GBV.

“The problem of gender-based violence is widespread across the globe. One in three women reports that they were abused in their lifetime, globally. So I think it's a global issue. That's why we're also engaged in the 16 days of activism,” Baxmann said.

Globally, UN Women reports that an estimated 736 million women, nearly one in three, have endured physical and, or, sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their lives (30 per cent of women aged 15 and older). This figure excludes incidents of sexual harassment. - Hudson Kuteesa, The New Times