Kirinyaga County launches Sh72 million insurance cover program

Kirinyaga County Government has set aside Sh72 million to cater for residents who are unable to afford the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) cover.

Speaking yesterday in Kutus town during the launch of the healthcare scheme, Governor Anne Waiguru said the county will pay Sh6,000 for each person unable to take up the insurance cover.

Ms Waiguru said the initiative is in line with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big Four agenda which includes universal health care.

She said volunteers will conduct door-to-door registration of everyone not covered under NHIF.

“The volunteers will be looking for the disabled, the poor and the elderly who cannot make it to the registration centres scattered all over the county and have no insurance cover," she said.

The governor further said her office will register all boda boda operators in the county under the scheme so that they benefit in the event of an accident while on duty.

“But we want to caution our young men in the boda boda sector that we are on the lookout and will deregister those found to be involved in acts of lawlessness and hooliganism as we want to assist only those who are law abiding,” she cautioned.

Waiguru explained that Sh22 million has been allocated in the budget to cover May and June while Sh50 million will be allocated in the next financial year beginning this July.

She added that her administration will increase budgetary allocation in the next financial year to cater for free medicines in all county hospitals.

Waiguru said the Sagana sub county hospital will be upgraded to an emergency and accident care centre, while Kerugoya hospital is set for expansion to increase the bed capacity from 250 to 500.

The vulnerable residents have hailed the initiative and urged the government to make the initiative sustainable.