It was a long con! RUTO kicks off plans to increase NHIF contributions and hustlers are angry with him – Look!

 Monday, October 24, 2022 – President William Ruto has continued to disappoint his supporters over his abrupt U-turn on his campaign pledges.

From the Hustler Fund to the cost of living, Ruto seems to be reneging on his promise to reduce the NHIF contributions.

This is after he kicked off plans to increase NHIF contributions despite promising to do the opposite during campaigns and hustlers feel cheated.

In a Gazette Notice dated Friday, October 21, Ruto, through the Ministry of Health, invited comments from the public over the revised rates in the NHIF contributions.

In the looming changes, individuals earning over Ksh100,000 will pay contributions at the rate of 1.7 percent of their earnings instead of the flat-rate fee of 1,700.

The contributions will therefore gradually increase depending on one’s pay with those making Ksh200,000 monthly salary paying Ksh3,400 while those who earn Ksh500,000 will have their contributions increased to Ksh8,500.

In other categories, individuals earning between Ksh90,000 and Ksh99,000 will pay a flat rate of Ksh1,600 while those paid between Ksh80,000 and Ksh90,000 will pay Ksh1,500.

Independent contributors will also have a chance to make a Ksh500 monthly contribution in the proposed changes.

The proposed changes under the Contributions Regulations sector also demand that employers shall remit the amount deducted as a standard contribution to the fund on or before the ninth day of the month.

Ruto is banking on his numerical strength in Parliament to pass the changes.

The proposal had initially been opposed by the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) who claimed that the review would balloon the wage bill in turn affecting job creation.