Police medical cover delays attributed to provider switchover
NPSC chairperson Eliud N. Kinuthia (centre), vice- chairperson Alice Otwala and acting CEO McOpiyo Silas Oloo during a press briefing in Nairobi yesterday.
The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) has attributed delays in officers’ accessing medical cover to the ongoing transition from the old insurer.
A consortium led by CIC General Insurance won the Sh8.8 billion tender to provide members of the National Police Service and Kenya Prison medical cover, replacing the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) whose contract expired in December last year.
The transition has however affected some officers who have complained of long turnaround times, forcing them to use their own money.
“I’d call these systemic startup problems that will be sorted with time and as soon as possible. We are in a transition to a new insurer who is hardly three weeks into the job. The system and process of registration are ongoing and we are dealing with bulk data of over 107,000 police officers plus close to 3,000 civilian staff and other officers within the service, a number that is close to 150,000,” NPSC Chairman Eliud Kinuthia said.
He however told the new insurer to move with speed to complete the registration process.
“Fast track the systems so that they can work and serve police officers immediately,” he said.
Mr Kinuthia further expressed hope that the former Chief Justice David Maraga-led task force will bring to an end perennial welfare challenges facing officers, including harmonisation of salaries, housing and health insurance as well as psychosocial support and allowances for officers working in hardship and far-flung areas.
“We are looking forward to the outcome of this task force and are hopeful that many of these issues will be addressed. The police officers will get better terms and conditions moving forward,” added Mr Kinuthia.
He also confirmed that the 5,867 officers that graduated last week from Kiganjo and Embakasi training colleges have been deployed to various stations across the country ahead of the confirmation of their employment in six months.
Mr Kinuthia further clarified that the team of seven appointed by President William Ruto in a gazette notice on Friday will be looking to fill a vacancy left following the resignation of a commissioner.
The seven – Arthur Osiya, Dr Joyce Nyabuti, Mr Gilbert Chabari Mutembei, Dr Monica Muiru, Dr Raymond Sangsang Nyeris, Dr Joyce Mutinda and Mr Mbeti Mchuki – will be seeking a replacement for Naftali Rono who resigned to take up another position within the government.
The commission has nine members including; the Inspector General of Police, the two Deputy Inspector Generals in charge of the Kenya Police and the Administration Police, two retired officers, three civilians and a person qualified to be appointed as a High Court judge.
Mr Rono, who had been appointed by the virtue of his qualification as a High Court judge, voluntarily tendered his resignation from the commission on November 7 last year.
