It is now emerging that the government will be forced to deduct money from the M-Pesa accounts of citizens in a bid to have them enrolled for NHIF cover.
This was brought to the fore by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe in an interview with the Star.
The CS said though NHIF cover is not mandatory, it is a must for those who can afford to pay so that their health can be insured.
He stated that the amount can be deducted from daily M-Pesa transactions, if a person allows, in bits so that at the end of a particular period, he or she should be able to have foot the health cover.
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"We are in discussions with mobile money service providers like Safaricom so that when you are doing your daily money transactions, they can deduct something from your transactions if you allow them.
"If you allow them to deduct Sh17 every day from your daily transaction, you wouldn’t even notice it. The money is submitted to NHIF and by the time you realise it, your cover is in place," CS kagwe said.
The bottom line is the money service provider won't deduct money without your permission.
"That is the sort of thinking we must have and appreciate that taking care of oneself is your responsibility," Kagwe added in the interview with the publication.
The remarks by the CS has been received with mixed reactions among Kenyans with some opposing while others approving of it.