School students sing for Universal Healthcare in Kenya

They urged Kenyans to avail the advantages of the healthcare regime that underwrites several conditions in many hospitals in the country.

Students from different schools took to the stage at the ongoing national music festival in Nyeri in the need to articulate for universal health care and to stress the need to revamp national health insurance schemes in order to help mitigate health challenges that have affected many people since independence.

This was seen as one of the many ways citizens contributed towards making sure one of the Big Four agenda items, health, is achieved.

A stitch in time saves nine, the students from Ruaraka High School from Nairobi County sang. They added on the folly that comes with a family without a health insurance. Moi Secondary school Nakuru sang about a man saved by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) who was long-term suffering from untold health challenges. They urged Kenyans to avail the advantages of the healthcare regime that underwrites several conditions in many hospitals in the country.

Another school that sang about the emphasis to be provided on enlisting with the national health insurance is the Migori Township High School, Nyanza.

St. Peter's Budokoni's Supa Cover, conducted by Jacob Otondo and produced by Leonard Oduor captured problems faced by a patient who was unable to withdraw himself from the hospital even after recovery due to his pending bills. His permanent residence in the ward exposed him to the risk of contracting new infections from new patients.

As a matter of fact, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko signed an executive order last week to waiver bills of patients who are detained in city hospitals for more than one and half year.

Riruta Central, Rapogi High, Gitumba Secondary, Mutatha-ini, Nyandarua High School and Mugai secondary school were the other teams that performed with their respective choirs.

While the performances were praised for the perfect dose of entertainment, adjudicator Jaqueline Mulinda and Barasa Mukoya noted a lot of room for improvisations, especially where clarity of message is concerned commenting on a performance where the class struggled with their lyrics.

Meanwhile, a line-up of British Euro-Afro vocalists to perform at the festival as guest artists tomorrow is already prepared. Alice Williams, Nicole Sarah Gill, Peter Hyams, James Beard, Adam Biddlecombe, Odhiambo Odhiambo, Jack Brewer and Abraham Awuor are the artist to be performing in the group and are led by UK-based Kenyan traditional and cultural artist, Diana Badia.