Confusion as State House warns Kenyans not to pay their SHA contributions through the government Pay Bill (222222) which RUTO created

Saturday, November 30, 2024 - President William Ruto's government has abandoned its earlier plan to have all payments to the government made through Pay Bill number 222222.

This follows State House's directive advising Kenyans to pay their Social Health Authority (SHA) contributions directly, rather than through the government’s Pay Bill 222222 created by Ruto.

In a statement, the Director of Public Communications at State House in Nairobi, Gerald Bitok, clarified that SHA contributions would not be paid directly through the consolidated 222222 Pay Bill number but rather through a separate account.

Bitok explained that the decision was made due to the sector's critical importance.

He said that the goal was to do away with the funding problem previously experienced under the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) which threatened to hamper the delivery of healthcare services.

According to Bitok, contributing the funds to a separate account would ensure prompt disbursement of the monthly allocations to healthcare facilities across the country.

“Collecting the members' contributions directly into SHA ensures there are always ready funds to pay service providers outside the often long processes of the national consolidated fund allocations,” Bitok said.

“Unlike other government agencies that can survive on annual allocations, SHA has monthly offset obligations that must be handled promptly to guarantee service,” he added.

Further, Bitok reiterated that the new health insurance scheme simplified access to healthcare even as the government made efforts to fulfill its financial obligations on time.

Bitok was forced to clarify the matter after an online user questioned why the government decided to come up with a separate account for SHA remittances.

The Kenyan DAILY POST