Nicodemus Odongo has been named the acting chief executive officer (CEO) at the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) as investigations on alleged misappropriation of billions of shillings at the state corporation gathers momentum. Odongo who was the Fund’s director of strategy, planning and marketing, was elevated to the powerful position following suspension of his predecessor, Geoffrey Mwangi.
The NHIF’s acting director of finance and investments, Wilbert Kurgat, was also sent on forced leave alongside Mwangi and his place taken by Bernard Njenga who was the manager of management accounting. “This is to allow continuity of service delivery by the Fund and to maintain momentum towards achieving the Big Four Agenda on universal health coverage,” NHIF Board’s chairperson, Hannah Muriithi, said in a statement sent on Thursday, November 29.
— NHIF Kenya (@nhifkenya) November 28, 2018
Mwangi and Kurgat were sent home following their arrest over alleged attempt to pervert the course of justice by blocking detectives investigating loss of funds at the corporation from accessing crucial documents and disregarding a court order. Resident Magistrate, Sinkiyan Tobiko, in September 2018 granted the detectives permission to access any documents they believed could help in unraveling the circumstances under which funds were lost at NHIF. The suspects allegedly declined to co-operate with the investigators leading to their arrest.
The duo was arraigned before Nairobi Chief Magistrate, Francis Andayi, on Tuesday and both pleaded not guilty to the charges. Each of them was freed on a KSh 500,000 cash bail with an option of KSh 1 million bond and surety of similar amount. In his ruling, Andayi said the prosecution did not provide sufficient grounds to deny the suspects bail.