The office of the Director of Criminal Investigations has established that at least Sh10 billion at the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) has been lost in false medical claims.
Reports indicate that several NHIF staff have been interrogated and more are scheduled to be summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), whose director, George Kinoti described the scandal as a massive rip-off.
“This is the most cruel graft I have so far encountered. These merciless people have been stealing patients’ money, leaving them to die,” said Mr Kinoti.
“We are talking to all those who played any role in this issue before we make our conclusions and recommendations. It doesn’t matter who they are,” he added.
Sources said the figure had been flagged as fraudulent and was part of about Sh50 billion paid to NHIF by Treasury as capitation premiums for medical cover for civil servants, Kenya Police Service, National Youth Service and Kenya Prisons Service since 2013.
The detectives were said to have stumbled on a pile of documents related to premiums from special medical schemes worth Sh12.7 billion annually in which it was suspected that some NHIF officials and hospitals’ administrations conspired to double-charge the Government in medical bills.