Following the publishing of regulations to implement the new health legislation, every household in Kenya will contribute 2.75 percent of their monthly income to the newly constituted Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
The government expects Kenyans working in the informal sector to contribute more than Sh57 billion to the Social Health Insurance Fund each year.
The Social Health Insurance (General) Regulations, 2023 are intended to operationalize the Social Health Insurance Fund (Act), which the courts temporarily halted on Monday.
The Act, whose execution was blocked by a conservatory injunction pending the resolution of a petition challenging its constitutionality, made no mention of how much Kenyans will be taxed under the new program, which will replace the National Health Insurance program.
The injunction is set to last until February 7, 2024.
With the injunction in place, even if the National Assembly accepts the regulations as they are, the government will have to wait until then to find out whether the deductions may begin.
The sum payable each month shall not be less than Sh300 per month, according to the Social Health Insurance (General) Regulations, 2023, released by Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha. The sum is paid annually to persons who are not employed.
This means that an unemployed individual must pay at least Sh3,600 per year, putting a significant strain on the many hustlers who live from hand to mouth.
According to the 2023 Social Health Insurance (General) Regulations,
The sum payable each month shall not be less than Sh300 per month, according to the Social Health Insurance (General) Regulations, 2023, released by Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha. The sum is paid annually to persons who are not employed in any organisation
This means that an unemployed individual must pay at least Sh3,600 per year, putting a significant strain on the many hustlers who live from hand to mouth.