Intro:
Nominated MP Sabina Chege is pushing for a bold legislative move that would require all public officers to exclusively seek treatment in public hospitals. The proposal aims to boost accountability in the health sector and force leaders to experience the same system used by ordinary citizens.
Highlights:
- Sabina Chege proposes a law to compel public officers to use public hospitals.
- The move aims to improve public healthcare by holding leaders accountable.
- The bill targets elected and appointed officials at both national and county levels.
- Critics and supporters clash over the proposal’s potential impact.
- If passed, it could reshape how the elite engage with Kenya’s healthcare system.
Main Story:
Nominated MP Sabina Chege has tabled a proposal that could force a dramatic change in Kenya’s healthcare culture: making it mandatory for all public officers to seek treatment in government hospitals. The initiative is designed to push leaders to take a more active role in improving the country’s struggling public health facilities.
If enacted, the law would apply to elected leaders, Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, and top government appointees. They would be barred from using private or overseas hospitals for medical care while in office unless under strict exceptional circumstances.
Sabina Chege argues that real reform will only come when leaders directly experience the quality or lack thereof of public healthcare. “You can’t fix what you don’t face,” she said, pointing out that many Kenyans suffer in overcrowded, understaffed hospitals while their leaders fly out for treatment.
Kenyans online have had mixed reactions. Some hailed the proposal as long overdue, while others questioned whether such a law would be enforceable. Critics also pointed out potential risks if top government officials are denied emergency access to advanced care.
The bill adds to growing calls for reforms in Kenya’s public healthcare system, where poor service delivery, drug shortages, and underfunding remain common complaints. By placing public officers in the same system, proponents hope the urgency to fix it will finally take root at the top.
Read Also:
https://spmbuzz.com/govt-moves-to-reform-health-sector-with-tough-new-law/
If leaders were forced to queue at the same hospitals as the public, would the system finally get the overhaul it deserves? Sabina Chege seems to think so and she’s daring Parliament to make it law.
