President William Ruto has warned employed Kenyans who do not want to contribute to the new Social Health Insurance Scheme (SHIF) that they will have to explain themselves before God when their days on earth reach an end.
“We want the government to cater for the medical expenses of Kenyans who will not have the ability to pay for health insurance from the taxes that we shall collect from those who can,” said President Ruto in Narok during a funeral service for Kokoo Annah, mother of former Narok Governor Samuel Ole Tunai.
“If you are employed and selfish, you will stand one day before God, and you will be asked why you had the ability to help your fellow citizens, but you refused. You shall go to hell,” he said.
Kenyans will soon start paying 2.75 percent of their pay to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) in a scheme that will see contributions for top earners rise by more than eight times.
The 2.75 percent has not been capped at a maximum of Sh5,000 as promised earlier by several State officials including Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha, a development that will see deductions from top earners rise sharply.
For the salaried people earning up to Sh30,000 a month, there is going to be a drop of between three percent and 45 percent in contributions as those earning above Sh30,000 to Sh100,000 will see a rise in contributions by between one percent and 77 percent. Those earning above Sh100,000 will see even steeper deductions.