NAIROBI, Kenya – As Nairobi County’s Sh1.5 billion health coverage tender hangs in the balance, leading insurers have jumped into a fierce competition following the expiration of the current contract with Jubilee Insurance on July 28, 2024.
On July 29, City Hall witnessed the opening of six bids vying for the lucrative staff medical cover. AAR Insurance made the highest bid at Sh2.023 billion, backed by a security of Sh4 million.
Jubilee Insurance, the outgoing provider, offered Sh1.495 billion, while First Assurance came close with a bid of Sh1.479 billion.
Other contenders include Kenya Alliance at Sh1.489 billion, Trident Insurance with Sh1.387 billion, and Madison Insurance at Sh1.751 billion, each maintaining the standard security deposit.
With no immediate replacement secured, Nairobi City County Secretary and Head of Public Service, Patrick Analo, has directed the county’s five hospitals to provide free treatment to the 15,000 county employees and their families.
In a memo to Health CEC Suzanna Silantoi, Analo emphasized the urgency of the situation, effective from July 29, 2024.
“This is to communicate that you are requested to put in place mechanisms to ensure you treat our staff without charging them and their families, effective from 29th July, 2024,” the memo read.
A senior official from the Kenya County Government Workers Union (KCGWU) acknowledged that while in-patient benefits will extend for 30 days beyond the contract’s expiration, he criticized the county administration for initiating the tender process at the eleventh hour.
