Machogu put to task by MPs over lapse of Edu-Afya medical scheme

The Ministry of Education faced scrutiny from Members of Parliament regarding the failure to renew the Edu-Afya Medical Insurance Scheme offered to learners.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu found himself in a difficult position before the Public Investments Committee, where he was tasked with explaining why a new scheme had not been instituted to replace the expired one.

The Sh4.5 billion Edu-Afya scheme, which had been operational since 2018, ceased in December 2023, leaving students without coverage.

The MPs accused the ministry of neglecting the learner’s health by failing to renew the scheme, noting that the ministry should have implemented short-gap measures to ensure the immediate health and protection of students while negotiating a new insurance scheme.

Machogu explained to the MPs that the collapse of the Edu-Afya scheme was due to the implementation of the new Social Health Insurance Fund, which absorbed all previous health insurance schemes, including Edu-Afya. He mentioned that students are now covered under the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

“Mr Chairman, you know we have a new insurance scheme that has collapsed all other health insurance schemes including this one of Edu-Afya. But in the meantime, we have NHIF in place,” Machogu said.

However, the MPs expressed dissatisfaction with the explanation, arguing that NHIF coverage for students wasn't effectively being implemented on the ground.

“Why can’t the ministry put stop-gap measures to this? Mr CS our children are exposed now. This is wrong. It is not true that NHIF has come in to cover our students. We want you to tell us what measures you have put in place to deal with this matter,” Bumula MP and Chairman of the Committee Wanami Wamboka posed.

NEMIS

The scheme offered comprehensive medical insurance coverage for students in public secondary schools registered with the National Educational Management Information System (NEMIS).

It also helped in the diagnosis of previously undetected - and therefore untreated - chronic conditions that cause students to miss school regularly. In the cover, the ministry had negotiated an annual premium of Sh1,350 per student.

The lapse of the scheme raised concerns about the health and well-being of students, prompting MPs to demand accountability and immediate action from the Ministry of Education.

The committee also announced its intention to petition the National Assembly to impose a moratorium on the initiation of new projects by public universities until all pending projects are completed.

The committee expressed concern over the significant number of stalled projects due to funding shortages and highlighted instances of project duplication across universities.

Wamboka emphasised the need to prioritise the completion of existing projects before embarking on new ones.

“We will be asking the National Assembly to put an embargo on new projects so that we can allow universities to complete the pending ones,” he said.

Samburu West MP Naisula Lesuuda echoed these sentiments, emphasising the urgency of finding solutions to revive public universities amidst the ongoing funding crisis.

She stressed the importance of addressing the backlog of pending projects alongside tackling financial challenges within the university sector.

“Apart from the funding crisis we have in the universities, we also need to deal with these pending projects,” she said.

The sentiments by the committee came after Machogu admitted that they are yet to complete the said projects because of a lack of adequate funding.