Written by Leonard Wamalwa 2012-05-09 13:16:00 Read 778 Times

 National Hospital Insurance Fund NHIF saga continues to take different dimensions over the loss of millions of shillings.  As a result, over 2000 members of Union of Kenya Civil servants in Trans Nzoia branch have declared their move to quit the scheme.

Led by their branch secretary Sofie Gachuai, civil servants told journalists in Kitale that they have decided to quit the fund due to what they called lack of transparency and fairness in its implementation.

"Since the introduction of the scheme, civil servants have not benefitted as expected because they are always given a raw deal whereby when one falls sick, he or she is referred to a distant hospital or in a facility that has no drugs," noted Gachuai.

The secretary who was accompanied by her counterpart from neighboring Uasin Gishu County Jeniffer Mugire said that the allocation of the scheme's funds has not been favorable to the members. She continued by saying that money allocated to the facilities is too minimal leading to members spending extra funds despite having the scheme to take care of them.

They have demanded for immediate stoppage of deductions from their salaries towards the fund and arrangements to be made to have their contributed money refunded to them in arrears.

"We are calling for an immediate stop on deductions from our salaries so that our money remains intact on our pay slips to enable us seek medical services from facilities of our own choice," said the secretary.

The officials who were also accompanied by other  members from the branch further demanded for the stepping aside of their national union secretary Tom Odege whom they said had failed to advocate for their rights and welfare even during the looming multimillion saga embroiled in the fund.

At the same time the servants demanded for the stepping aside of the minister for medical services Professor Peter Anyang Nyong'o whom they said has allowed corruption of such a magnitude to happen in his ministry under his watch without acting accordingly.

They called for the two and other government officers named in the saga to be thoroughly investigated to get to the root of the scandal to let Kenyans know how their money got lost.

The officials pointed out that the different steps taken by various line ministers and other officers including the Prime minister Raila Odinga, among others is a clear indication the there is indeed something fishy in the scheme that should not be let go until the truth is unveiled.

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