President William Ruto convened a cabinet meeting at State House, Nairobi, to assess some government policies and interventions.
Ruto chaired the meeting with his Deputy President Abraham Kithure Kindiki and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi also present.
From the photos shared by DP Kindiki all Cabinet Secretaries were present for the critical meeting convened to evaluate some of the policies before proceeding for the festive season.
Myriad of concerns
Ruto held the meeting with his CS amid a series of concerns from Kenyans on various issues. The implementation of the Social Health Authority (SHA) has proved to be a thorny issue for the country.
On Monday, December 16, 2024, the Rural and Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA) warned that patients seeking medical attention at the hospitals with Social Health Authority (SHA) cards will be required to pay cash to access services.
According to the hospitals, the government has failed to commit to paying the Ksh29 billion owed to the hospitals by the now-defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
“Unless there is a substantial move to settle NHIF liabilities. From the 1st of January, we will move to out-of-pocket payment. We have no other way. How do we keep the facilities open? You cannot have three-quarters of hospitals that have not paid their workers for the last three months and expect that health care will be normal,” stated RUPHA Chairperson Brian Lishenga.
Besides SHA issues, the government is facing acute resistance to its plans to vaccinate livestock starting in 2025. Those opposed to the programme want the government to explain in detail why the programme is being implemented in the country.
Ruto had earlier blasted those opposing the programme while insisting that the vaccine is aimed at tackling diseases and opening up markets for livestock products.
Cabinet Resolutions
In a cabinet despatch, the areas of concern were not listed among the key resolutions adopted.
However, President Ruto’s Cabinet Secretaries agreed to extend the Government-to-Government (G-to-G) arrangement for the import of refined petroleum products.
The Cabinet meeting also approved the procurement of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Heavy Fuel Oil, and bitumen through a centrally coordinated bulk procurement system.
Ruto thanked the Cabinet for their hard work and contributions during the year. He cited the gains already made in food production, housing, labour mobility to access opportunities abroad, and tourism, among others.
“Many people thought we would concentrate on populism, but we concentrated on transformation; many thought we would concentrate on politics, but we concentrated on leadership,” he stated.
He concluded: “It is not about some people, but all the people of Kenya.”
