Aasai

Nominated MP Sabina Chege has proposed a motion that would require civil servants, state officials, and public officers to exclusively use public hospitals. The Jubilee Party legislator presented a notice of motion in Parliament, arguing that such a policy would improve healthcare services and ensure sufficient funding for public health facilities.

Chege emphasized that Article 43 (1)(a) of the Constitution guarantees every Kenyan the right to quality healthcare. She noted that the government has committed to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF). According to her, enforcing the use of public hospitals by state officials would enhance service delivery and strengthen public healthcare financing.

Her proposal comes as private hospitals struggle with the transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to SHIF, citing unpaid arrears, system failures, and poor reimbursement models. At the same time, clinical officers have staged protests over job security, comprehensive medical cover, and their exclusion from providing services under SHIF.

The striking clinical officers are demanding recognition by the SHIF board and the restoration of their pre-authorization rights to offer medical services. With healthcare workers agitating for better working conditions and funding concerns mounting, Chege’s motion could spark a heated debate on the future of Kenya’s public health sector.