NHIF appoints Peter Kamunyo as the new CEO

NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 13-The National Health and Insurance Fund has appointed Peter Kamunyo Gathege as the new Chief Executive Officer effective next week Tuesday.

Kamunyo takes over from Nicodemus Odongo who was CEO in an acting capacity since 2018.

His appointment comes two months later after the board re-advertised the position despite shortlisting three individuals for the position.

 NHIF Board Chair Hannah Muriithi in a statement on Thursday said Kamunyo’s appointment follows a competitive recruitment process conducted by the fund’s board.

“Kamunyo is a healthcare executive with 21 years of experience ranging from clinical practice and healthcare management, medical insurance, healthcare supply chain and strategic purchasing and the pharmaceutical industry,” said Muriithi.

His appointment comes at a time when the medical insurance has been put on the spot with allegations of looting millions from Kenyans.

MPs had in February summoned the management to parliament to answer questions on an audit and misappropriation of public funds.

The trouble system was earning about Sh2 billion with payments from police, police, prisons, civil servants, and other private entities.

Other than that, the national treasury submitted sh5 billion to cater for police medical insurance scheme and another Sh5 billion to pay for civil servant’s hospital bills.

In January, NHIF had introduced new rules that demanding Sh6,000 upfront payment for 12 months.

It is through President Uhuru Kenyatta intervention that the new measures by NHIF were scrapped off, where experts warned risked collapsing the funds within two years.

NHIF’s CEO position fell vacant after the former CEO Geoffrey Mwangi was arrested amid graft investigations when the Fund was reported to have lost Sh93 million.