On Wednesday, November 21, 2018, Members of Parliament protested a change to their medical cover that limited benefits to the MP, one spouse and a maximum of five dependents.
The issue came up during a Kamukunji chaired by Speaker Justin Muturi, where legislators said the restriction was too tight for their large families and made it difficult to meet medical needs.
The closed-door meeting also agreed that the current insurance provider should be changed, with MPs citing poor service and delays in getting treatment covered.
Budalang'i MP Raphael Wanjala captured the frustration in the session, asking: “How do you explain to your other wife – after she has campaigned for you – that she cannot be covered because Parliament has limited it to one spouse?”
Another MP said members were being forced to pay out of pocket for some family members when the insurer failed to respond in time. The Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) had reviewed the scheme and narrowed it to the MP plus five dependents.
The dispute exposed a wider tension inside Parliament over the cost and scope of benefits for lawmakers and their households, even as the medical cover rules remained under review.
