Wednesday, February 28, 2024 - Polygamous families are poised to encounter further deductions to cover their households under President William Ruto’s Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
This follows the Ministry of
Health's classification of men with two wives as two separate households,
irrespective of the number of dependents in each household.
During an appearance before the
Joint Parliamentary Committee on Health yesterday, the Ministry of Health faced
criticism from the committee for implementing a discriminatory regulation.
According to the legislators,
this regulation overlooks the rights of individuals in polygamous marriages,
despite such unions being constitutionally permitted.
The lawmakers thus demanded
regulatory adjustments to ensure that polygamous marriages adhere to the
same deductions criteria applied to monogamous relationships.
"You are going against the
laws of Kenya that allow polygamy. If you treat a household with two wives as
two households it is double jeopardy," stated MP Julius Sunkuli.
“Don't run away from the
definition that wife is in singular spouse does not mean it is one
spouse," the legislator added.
Even so, the Ministry of Health
defended its decision, stating that the new Act aims to create equity among
SHIF beneficiaries.
Under the new health fund, men
with more than one wife must pay 2.75% for each household, for instance, those
with two wives will face a 5.5% deduction of their gross salary, while those
with three wives face an 8.25% deduction.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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