Nairobi — Kenyans have to wait for at least three months to know the findings of an audit by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) on the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).

The government contracted the World Bank's private sector lending arm to look into the fund to establish its ability to finance outpatient services as it seeks to introduce new contribution rates.

"We are in the middle of the process and expect to present to the government our report by the end of this year or early next year," IFC senior investment officer and head of Health in Africa Initiative, Scott Featherston said in Nairobi on Tuesday.

Mr Featherston said they will, among other things, look at the efficiency of the NHIF in its new role and examine the private sector health insurance operations before advising the government on the best way forward.

"We will seek consensus in our work by consulting all stakeholders in order to come up with the best way forward," he said. Mr Featherston spoke a day after the Industrial Court suspended the new NHIF rates that could have been effected on Wednesday.

The temporary suspension by Mr Justice James Rika was issued after he threw out an application by NHIF that sought the dismissal of a case filed by the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu). The rates, which were gazetted on July 2 this year, seek to increase the monthly contributions from the Sh320 maximum to a progressive rate of up to Sh2,000.

The lowest contributor was to pay Sh150 (those earning less than Sh6,000), while those getting more than Sh100,000 were to pay Sh2,000 every month. Cotu accused NHIF of revising the rates without consulting its tripartite partners and moved to court. Employers, under the Federation of Kenya Employers, and private health insurance providers have also opposed the increase.

However, Medical Services minister Prof Anyang' Nyong'o has defended the increase.