Why does the government only act after an exposé?

susan nakhumicha, health cs

Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha. CS Nakhumicha deserves kudos for suspending several NHIF branch managers over graft allegations, says Mitchele Atieno. However, she’s disappointed that it only happened after an NTV exposé.

Photo credit: LUCY WANJIRU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Scandal • Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha deserves kudos for suspending several NHIF branch managers over graft allegations, says Mitchele Atieno. However, she’s disappointed that it only happened after an NTV exposé. “This raises eyebrows, as the government officials concerned act only when a big racket is exposed by the media?” Her contact is [email protected].

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Impunity • The NTV team deserves congratulations for exposing the NHIF heist, says Kamichore Mutindira. “It was quite disgusting to learn how some of the rogue medical practitioners are using hospitals and other health facilities to steal from the fund. Equally disheartening is to hear some ‘doctors’ boasting that they won’t be touched, as they have police protection.” His contact is [email protected].

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Healthcare • While consultancy costs about Sh100 in public hospitals or health centres, which is affordable, medical care is still too expensive because the patients have to buy drugs from private pharmacies, says Newton Tonui. “The private chemists near the hospitals are mostly owned by doctors or other top medical staff, defeating the very idea of free healthcare.” His contact is [email protected].

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Redress • Safaricom minority shareholder Nitesh Shah feels he has been abandoned by the management, especially CEO Peter Ndegwa, who has upset him further by announcing a Sh25 million Safari Rally sponsorship. Says Nitesh: “My repeated requests for compensation for my money that was lost in an M-Pesa fraud over three years ago have been ignored.” His contact is [email protected].

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No winner • There is a popular petrol station in Nairobi that often runs raffles, but whose winners are never announced, says Churchill Amatha. “Isn’t there a regulatory authority that must ensure that such prizes are given out to the winners? One competition after another, with no known winners, declared. Why is this blatant cheating allowed to happen?” His contact is [email protected].

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