Kenya’s Government “must urgently review” Inflated Work Permit Charges for Foreign Missionaries: Catholic Bishop

On April 11, KCCB members faulted President William Ruto-led government’s decision to revise upwards work permit charges for foreign missionaries in the East African nation.

Terming the move as “absolutely unethical” and one that “shows a lack of gratitude to people dedicating their lives to the good of society”, Kenya’s Catholic Bishops appealed, “We as a country should be showing gratitude and appreciation through giving waivers to priests, religious men and women, and other social missionary volunteers who come to complement our social engagement. We request that their work permit be zero-rated.”  

In their statement titled, “Cry of the Oppressed”, KCCB members recalled that in the past, Kenya exhibited “great respect and recognition” for missionaries, who are in the country to render services, motivated by love, and sacrifice for the people of God. 

In his September 14 address to journalists, Bishop Mbinda weighed in on the Kenyan government’s restructuring of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), the parastatal that provides universal health coverage (UHC) to citizens through a medical insurance cover, realized in the shift from NHIF to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) operationalized under the Social Health Authority (SHA).

“The transition from NHIF to SHIF hasn’t been smooth,” the Kenyan-born member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans/Holy Ghost Fathers/CSSp.) said, and lamented the delayed refunds to Catholic mission hospitals, which he said are owed significant funds in arrears. 

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“NHIF owes hospitals and clinics, particularly missionary-run facilities, substantial amounts of money that is meant to pay healthcare workers and provide services,” he said, and added, “Many hospitals and clinics are running out of medicine, and doctors have begun taking industrial action because they cannot be paid due to NHIF’s failure to settle its debts.”

The first-ever Kenyan Spiritan Bishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in June 2022 emphasized the need for mutual collaboration between the government and the Church, and added, “Our role is to assist the government institutions in fulfilling their duties because providing healthcare, education, and social services is the government’s responsibility.”

The Church and her “missionaries are only there to help,” Bishop Mbinda in his address to journalists after presiding over the annual CWA Holy Mass during which 520 new members were commissioned. 

He challenged the Kenyan government to demonstrate willingness and commitment to mutual collaboration “by offering work permits to foreign Missionaries at reasonable fees, and by clearing the money owed to our health facilities by the National Health Insurance Fund.”

Kenya’s Catholic Bishops have faulted the government for failing Kenyans in the health sector. In November 2023, KCCB members expressed concern about NHIF’s inefficiency, and lamented “the backlog of huge unpaid reimbursements to Mission Health Institutions that support the health provision at the grassroots.”

On February 16, Bishop Michael Cornelius Otieno Odiwa of Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Homa Bay lamented that “healthcare provision” in the country “is at the moment dwindling because of the government’s mess with the NHIF.”

Earlier, on February 10, Bishop Norman King’oo Wambua of Kenya’s Machakos Diocese faulted NHIF for being “dysfunctional and negatively affecting the offering of services in health institutions”.

“As faith leaders in areas where we have hospitals, the debt owed to our institutions by NHIF is worrying. They are outrightly crippling our hospitals,” Bishop King’oo said on the sidelines of the Diocesan Pilgrimage and Thanksgiving Mass held at the Komarock Shrine in his Episcopal See.