Monday, November 27, 2023 – The High Court sitting in Nairobi has suspended three laws recently signed by President William Ruto.
The Monday ruling has temporarily stopped the implementation of the three acts that include; The Social Health Insurance, Primary Health Care Act, and the Digital and Digital Health Act.
“A conservatory order is hereby issued restraining the respondents, their agents, or anyone acting on their directives from implementing and enforcing The Social Health Insurance Act 2023, The Primary Health Care Act, 2023, and The Digital Health Act, 2023 until 7th February 2024,” Justice Chacha Mwita partly made the ruling.
The Health Ministry is therefore required to respond to the petition within 7 days after which they will have another 7 days of filing and serving supplementary affidavits on the petition.
Furthermore, the Ministry of health will have seven days to file and serve written submissions to the petition that should not exceed 10 pages.
A week ago, KMPDU issued a comprehensive statement terming Ruto’s new healthcare acts as a threat to access to healthcare to over 3 million Kenyans with pay-slips.
Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists & Dentists Union KMPDU had moved to court and applied to have the Acts suspended citing negative effects on the larger health sector.
It also sought to understand whether public participation had been exhausted before signing this into law.
