RUTO may drive hustlers to early graves as he urges unemployed youths to take loans to pay for his SHIF – Look!

 Thursday, February 1, 2024 – The Government of President William Ruto has come up with a genius way to ensure even the unemployed hustlers pay the mandatory Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).

This is after he urged the unemployed hustlers to take loans and pay for SHIF.

The draft Social Health Insurance (General) Regulations, 2024, requires all Kenyans to pay for the SHIF, whether employed or not, to enable universal health access.

In the new regulations, salaried Kenyans will be required to pay 2.75 percent of their monthly gross income.

On the other hand, unemployed Kenyans will be required to offset 2.75 percent on an annual basis.

To cushion the unemployed Kenyans, the government will offer loans to assist them in paying their annual contributions.

Unemployed Kenyans who will not be able to raise the Ksh300 will be eligible to apply for a loan towards the same. 

The Ministry of Health will engage financial institutions including; cooperatives and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development and other financial institutions to advance loans to youth who attain the mandatory deduction age but are still jobless. 

Once they get formal employment, their salaries will start getting deducted immediately to clear the loans and make subsequent SHIF contributions. 

However, some Kenyans are skeptical about the proposal, arguing that it may lead the youth into further debt and eventually depression.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.