Clear unpaid police claims

The police have a tough job in their key responsibility of protecting lives and property. They sometimes get severely injured in the line of duty and deserve quick facilitation to get treatment, which may include delicate and expensive surgery. This is what their insurance scheme is meant to take care of.

It is not just callous but also inhuman for some companies or organisations to take advantage of the plight of the officers to make money. They are, of course, in this business to make a return on their investment, but not by endangering the lives of the very people whose coverage happens to be their enterprise. Worth Sh5.1 billion, this police insurance is a lucrative business.

However, it is disappointing that the Senate has been forced to intervene to get the insurance firms contracted by the government to settle outstanding claims.

Claim for compensation

The Senate Committee on Security, Defence and Foreign Relations has had to step in following reports that the insurers are not paying claims. This is so yet the government provided resources to ease the transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF). The Social Health Authority (SHA), which runs the new SHIF, and the National Police Service have a case to answer. 

Section 26 (4) of Work Injury Benefits Act says an employer or insurer against whom a claim for compensation is lodged should settle it within 90 days.

However, Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu has flagged unpaid insurance claims for the 2022/23 financial year for the police officers and their dependants.

Of the 2,162 claims lodged, only 937 worth Sh709.1 million have been paid. The insurance firms rejected claims worth Sh289.44 million and have disputed 158 others valued at Sh264.7 million.

The officers often operate in difficult conditions and must not be frustrated by insurers only out to make huge profits.