By Cyrus Ombati
The newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) Simeon ole Kirgotty took over office on Tuesday in a twist of events at the troubled organisation.
This was after the outgoing acting CEO Adan A Adan was summoned to the Ministry of Health for a briefing that lasted for almost two hours.
Both Kirgotty and Adan are said to have attended the meeting called by Medical Services Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o and Permanent secretary Mary Ngari.
Kirgotty, during the handover ceremony, promised to address the media tomorrow.
The takeover ends a long drama and standoff between Kirgotty and Adan over who should be in office at NHIF, which is fighting to pull itself out of a sea of scandals.
New board
In a letter dated August 7, Nyong’o appointed Kirgotty, who is the Director of Administration at the Ministry of Medical Services, to take over from Adan, who has been heading the caretaker committee appointed in July, to sort Sh4. 6 billion mess.
Nyong’o also indicated in his appointment letter that he would soon be announcing a new board to run the organisation.
“I have appointed you to hold on briefly at the NHIF while I make arrangements to appoint the new board with which you will work to superintend reforms at the Fund,” said Nyong’o in the letter to Ole Kirgotty.
Former CEO Richard Kerich and the entire board were replaced after the intervention of President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
