Members of Parliament have called for the revision of their medical insurance so that it can serve them even upon retirement.
Speaking during their mid-term retreat in Naivasha on Wednesday, the MPs stated that they would rather contribute monthly to the said medical scheme in addition to other deductions so that they could enjoy the benefits later.
“A lot of people (MPs) suffer because they do not have any health coverage. We see them coming to Parliament, and they want some health council. What we are looking at now is whether we can make some contribution for the same,” Seme MP Dr James Nyikal opined.
Nominated MP Bishop Jackson Kosgei echoed these remarks, stressing the importance of taking care of MPs in their retirement.
Seme MP James Nyikal
File
“The Parliamentary Service Commission is saying they want to help us deal with our future when we will be away from Parliament, inclusive of the resources we are receiving now so that when we do leave Parliament, we are still taken care of,” he said.
Nyikal also raised concerns that most MPs suffered social isolation upon retirement, not only due to the lack of a comprehensive medical scheme but also because of the absence of a pension scheme for first-time MPs.
“At the time of their end as politicians, they are often worse off than they were at the beginning. Nobody has ever asked why. They actually just blame them,” he said.
“Because of the nature of how we work, the dependants we have, and the social responsibilities, most of their salaries don’t reach their households and go to harambees and other things.”
According to Nyikal, the law does not allow one-term MPs to receive pensions but only gratuities, which has affected them over the years.
This, he said, was because, once re-elected for a second term, they would need to pay back the gratuities first to be eligible for a pension. These gratuities often range between Ksh5 million and Ksh10 million.
This comes even as civil servants receive a more comprehensive medical cover than the average Kenyan under the newly implemented Social Health Authority (SHA).
On 7 November 2024, the Ministry of National Treasury & Economic Planning published a draft bill titled the Public Finance Management (Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund) Regulations, 2024, which targeted civil servants.
It sought to make the already extensive perks for public servants even more comprehensive under the Universal Health Coverage scheme.
Social Health Authority building in Nairobi
Photo
Wingubox
