Kenya’s healthcare sector is now staring at possible stagnation after an initial allocation of 319.4 billion shillings in this year’s budget was slashed by a whopping 219 billion.

Ministry officials are now at a loss over how to implement the much touted Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) on a budget of less than 100 billion shillings.

This is despite the fact that salaried Kenyans are being forced to contribute 2.75% of their gross salaries to fund the new health scheme.

It raises serious concerns about the government’s commitment to implementing some of its flagship programs beyond using the projects simply as tax collection bowls.

The incongruity of cutting essential health funding while imposing new taxes for the same is glaring and troubling.

This significant budget reduction will adversely affect various critical programs, including the procurement of HIV/AIDS treatment, family planning and vaccines commodities, as well as free maternity services.

The action further casts a shadow over the recently signed return-to-work agreement with doctors through their union KMPDU.

Without allocated funds, the deal signed between the medics and their employer will not even be worth the paper it is written on.

The national Assembly’s Health committee is already seized of the matter. It is reported that both the committee chair and its members collectively expressed shock and dismay at this absurdity.

Hopefully, this unanimous condemnation from the honorable members will count for something.

Meanwhile, dear Kenyans, we need to demand of this government to get its priorities right and to communicate accurately its commitment to fulfilling promises made. Therein lies the crux of the matter.

Copy by Fred Indimuli- host Morning Cafe show