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Ruto Approves New Healthcare Fund Despite Opposition
President William Ruto Thursday approved a controversial healthcare reform plan that will require all workers to contribute 2.75% of their salaries to a new health fund. The plan is aimed at promoting universal healthcare and making healthcare more affordable and accessible for poorer Kenyans, but it has faced criticism from many Kenyans who see it as a new tax and who fear that it will be beset by corruption.
The new plan will replace the existing National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), which has been plagued by corruption and has been unable to provide adequate healthcare coverage for many Kenyans. The minimum contribution to the new fund will be double that of the NHIF, and most salaried workers will contribute a higher proportion of their pay.
Employers will also be required to contribute 2.75%, and the government will provide a subsidy for Kenyans who cannot afford to contribute.
The new healthcare plan has been met with mixed reactions. Supporters of the plan say that it is necessary to improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare for all Kenyans. They argue that the current system is unfair to low-income earners, who are often unable to afford the high cost of healthcare.
Opponents of the plan argue that it is a new tax that will hurt businesses and aggravate the cost-of-living crisis. They also fear that the new healthcare fund will be as corrupt as the NHIF, and that Kenyans will still be denied access to the healthcare they are entitled to.
Nairobi Governor Apologizes for Crackdown on Street Food Vendors
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has apologized to street food vendors and compensated them after a crackdown by county officers on Wednesday left a trail of destruction.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Sakaja said that the events that transpired in the CBD were highly regrettable, and vowed to take action on those found culpable.
“We have had cordial relations with informal traders for a year but lately there have been unfortunate incidences that seek to sabotage that. We will take disciplinary action,” Sakaja said.
Sakaja also ordered the immediate release of all confiscated items, and personally compensated each vendor to the tune of 10,000 shillings each.
While the traders may have been operating without the necessary documentation, Sakaja noted that they shouldn’t have been evicted in the manner that they were.
“Operating without the required documentation, including a Medical Certificate from Public Health that every food handler must-have for the safety of Nairobians, they did not deserve such treatment and we are dealing with this internally.”
Sakaja’s apology and compensation comes after public outrage over the crackdown, which was seen as a reflection of the growing tensions between the county government and street vendors.
President William Ruto’s top economic advisor David Ndii earlier criticized Governor Sakaja over the crackdown, saying that it was not a reflection of the ‘Hustler Narrative’ championed by President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza government.
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