NHIF responds to allegations of illegal revision of tender documents in Sh6.9b deal

The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) has responded to reports that highlighted an illegal revision of tender documents in a Sh6.9 billion deal.

NHIF has acknowledged the errors and vowed to take necessary action to correct the issue.

This comes hours after the Daily Nation ran a story that revealed integrity shortcomings in a tender issued by the NHIF for the provision of civil servants and National Youth (NYS) staff.

In a statement by acting CEO Samson Kuhora on Thursday, June 8, NHIF vowed to take disciplinary action against staff who erred in the tendering process.

"First, it has conducted an independent review of the tender document modifications to appreciate the changes made; the system. person and process weaknesses that led to the error; and evaluate their impact on the procurement process. It has been established that clause 4 on technical evaluation was modified to read 'General Insurance."

"Though that is the correct position, the procedure for alteration was not followed. This has informed the disciplinary action regarding the staff responsible," NHIF noted.

The health insurance body says it will seek advise from the regulator going forward and conduct an internal review of its procurement procedures.

"NHIF has actively engaged with the Regulatory Authority to advise on the way forward on this matter. The decision has been arrived at to have all the documents, availed online for scrutiny, and the official addendum addressing this and other issues raised for clarification on the tender, on the portals," said Kuhora.

"The Fund is conducting an internal review of its procurement procedures and strengthening internal controls to minimize the risk of inadvertent modifications or any potential improprieties. This includes implementing stricter document management protocols, establishing clear approval processes, and strengthening oversight mechanisms throughout the procurement cycle."