National Assembly’s PIC-SSAA Demands Accountability, Faults Four Public Institutions For Mismanagement
Emmanuel Wangwe
By PSCU
The National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Social Services, Administration, and Agriculture, chaired by Navakholo MP, Emmanuel Wangwe, has concluded its report-writing retreat, making a raft of recommendations aimed at holding accounting officers, board members, and staff of four institutions accountable for financial irregularities.
The measures proposed include recovering misappropriated funds at the prevailing Central Bank of Kenya lending rates.
The report highlighted major concerns, including irregular overpayments by the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and unaccounted training funds at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI).
The report flagged alarming discrepancies within NHIF, where KSh828,729,148 was overpaid out of a total expenditure of KSh29.9 billion under the National Health Scheme Benefit. Instances of inflated costs for medical procedures such as C-sections, major surgeries, and overseas treatments were particularly concerning.
The Committee’s findings pointed to systemic weaknesses within NHIF’s processes, which left the fund vulnerable to exploitation.
According to the report, hospitals often manipulated NHIF systems by using single case codes to claim multiple benefits. This was made possible by the lack of integration between notification and pre-authorization systems.
Some institutions disguised fictitious claims by consolidating multiple treatment sessions, such as dialysis or chemotherapy, into a single invoice.
The lawmakers also criticized NHIF’s poorly monitored benefit designs, which allowed hospitals to exploit loopholes.
An example cited by the Committee chairman was of a hospital in Kikuyu Town that claimed to have performed more C-sections than the country’s largest referral hospital, Kenyatta National Hospital.
“This is massive corruption. The EACC should bite hard,” Wangwe asserted .
He called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate fraudulent claims processing and ensure that offenders are held accountable within three months.
The Committee recommended an investigation into NHIF’s systems to determine whether fraud or financial improprieties occurred. It emphasized the need for immediate action, including holding culpable officers accountable and initiating legal proceedings through the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The recovery of public funds lost due to overpayments was also highlighted as a priority.
Kwanza Constituency MP, Ferdinand Wanyonyi underscored the importance of ensuring the Committee’s recommendations are implemented without delay.
“We must ensure our proposals are not shelved. This Committee must keep tabs on implementation, especially within the specified three-month window,” he said.
Nandi Hills MP, Bernard Kitur echoed this call, suggesting a split in the National Assembly’s Implementation Committee to better manage the increasing workload.
“The current committee is overwhelmed, and we risk losing track of critical recommendations,” he said.
As the Committee prepares to table the report, the spotlight is on the EACC and the DPP to take decisive action and restore public trust in the management of public funds.
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