Fresh clash hits debate on NHIF cash scandal
A report of MPs’ investigations into the civil servants medical scheme scandal has been tabled amid allegations that it had been doctored.
In it, the departmental committee on health recommends that the anti-corruption agency investigates Medical Services minister Anyang’ Nyong’o, his Public Service counterpart Dalmas Otieno and former National Hospital Insurance Fund CEO Richard Kerich and members of the board.
(READ: Nyong’o, Otieno face NHIF probe)
Also to be investigated are Medical Services PS Mary Ngari, the Director of Medical Services, Dr Francis Kimani, and the registrar-general, Ms Bernice Gachegu.
The MPs were investigating the roll-out of the first phase of NHIF scheme for civil servants and members of the disciplined forces and whether the private health facilities had the geographical spread.
They recommended that the scheme continues but a forensic audit be carried out to ascertain prudent use of funds.
The MPs also investigated whether two companies, Clinix Healthcare Ltd and Meridian Medical Centre Ltd, were irregularly paid millions of shillings.
NHIF paid Sh634.7 million to public and private health service providers who were identified to offer services in the first phase of the scheme.
Of the amount, only Sh120.7 million was paid to public facilities, Sh68.9 million was paid out to mission facilities while the remaining Sh447.2 million was paid out to private health providers.
The payments were for the period covering January 1, 2012 to March 31, 2012. Of the amount paid to private service providers, 45 per cent went to Clinix Healthcare Ltd and 25 per cent to Meridian — Sh202.1 million and Sh116.9, respectively.
The team found that out of the 30 branches of Clinix, 20 were allocated Sh92.4 million.
The committee held the view that the differences in the amount allocated to Clinix — Sh109.7 million — was paid out to non-existent facilities as they were not operational at the time of roll-out hence the payment was irregular.
For Meridian, the team’s report says that the amount ought to have been paid out for the first quarter was Sh88.8 million, and therefore the amount of Sh28.1 million paid to the branches in Nyali, Nyeri, Meru, Malindi and Nakuru was irregular.
On Tuesday, the report was tabled by committee chairman Robert Monda, but a member, Nyando MP Fred Outa disowned it, alleging that some of the recommendations had been doctored.
He wanted the report not to be tabled until his concerns had been investigated, but Dr Monda told the House that the committee held a final meeting, attended by seven MPs, to certify the report.
There were claims on the corridors of Parliament that the investigation and the eventual compilation of the report had been complicated by business, political and personal interests which resulted in bitter divisions among the 10 members.
Among themselves, MPs traded allegations of bribery with one claiming that when members were compiling the final report in Naivasha, an assistant minister, apparently representing one of the entities under investigation, appeared without notice.
MPs said he had come to lobby members to make favourable recommendations. “He was calling certain members aside one after the other.
At first I thought he was attending a separate seminar at the hotel only to realise his intentions were to compromise the team which strained the relationship among members and we left divided,” claimed one MP.
Members were divided on the recommendation to investigate individuals, with some members preferring a forensic audit of the whole civil servants’ scheme and the entire NHIF management instead of zeroing in on individuals.
