Ruto: We cannot tolerate the likes of Atwoli
Deputy President William Ruto fields questions from the audience at the Karson Institute for Race, Peace and Social Justice at Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 2, 2022.
Deputy President William Ruto has slammed Central Organisation of Trade Union (COTU) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli for opposing increased rates for the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) in 2020.
In 2020, COTU and Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) moved to the High Court seeking a judicial review of the court ruling allowing NHIF to implement new workers' contribution rates to facilitate implementation of the outpatient health care service.
Speaking during his three-day tour in London, Dr Ruto called out Mr Atwoli over his opposition to the NHIF bill despite the benefits it was to afford Kenyans.
"Mr Atwoli is supposed to look out for the people of Kenya but not burdening them," the DP said.
“When we came into office, we had 3.8 million people contributing to NHIF, with a monthly contribution of Sh320. We then decided to adjust this, so that people who earn more like the DP can pay Sh5, 000. However, so sooner had we changed the regulations than we were taken to court by Mr Atwoli,” Dr Ruto said.
The DP added that this move has denied Kenyans better coverage by the public healthcare provider.
“It is unspeakable that now as the Deputy President, with my over Sh1 million monthly salary i get to pay Sh1, 700 while while Mama Mboga pays Sh500, which is 10 percent of her income. All this is courtesy of the suit that Atwoli and his ilk instituted,” Mr Ruto said.
“The people at the bottom are carrying a heavy load than those at the top and somebody wants to tell us it is fair. This isn't fair. We cannot continue to tolerate the likes of Atwoli ,” Dr Ruto stated.
Dr Ruto's sentiment comes a day after Mr Atwoli, during an interview with the NTV slammed the DP saying he has sensed defeat.
“What Dr Ruto is trying to do is politics, and propagating. He is trying to build up a case on the justification of denying or refusing the outcome of the coming general election,” Atwoli said.
In 2020, Mr Atwoli opposed the health minister’s move to increase the NHIF rates.
"Cotu will be revealing the forces and the motive behind the minister’s obsession and we have proved beyond doubt that the minister is not genuine in his push for the new NHIF rates,” Mr Atwoli then said, adding that NHIF was in dire need of reforms, particularly in the wake of recent allegations of misappropriation of workers’ money through doubtful and non-existent medical facilities.
According to Cotu, NHIF lacked the capacity in terms of management and medical facilities across the country.
The DP arrived in London yesterday and was received by the Kenyan ambassador to the UK Manoah Esipisu for the second leg of his foreign tour, after a week in the United States.
