NAIROBI, Kenya, October 15 – National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has urged the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) to address bribery allegations involving its staff and decentralise services to county and sub-county levels to make it easier for retirees to access their savings.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Ichung’wah said retirees from counties such as Marsabit and Mandera should not have to travel to Nairobi to claim their benefits.
“I want to ask the management at NSSF to shape up or ship out,” he said, warning that the fund’s management must remain accountable to Parliament.Ichung’wah said NSSF leadership should take responsibility for addressing alleged misconduct rather than leaving the matter to junior employees.
“It is not ordinary staff members at NSSF who are demanding bribes. Because fish always rots from the head,” he said.
He also called for greater use of technology to allow members to submit claims and access their savings remotely without visiting NSSF offices.
“In this day and age of technology, Honourable Speaker, why would you even be asked to come and do things in Nairobi?” he asked.
Ichung’wah said the fund manages workers’ savings and must ensure members can access their money without unnecessary delays or demands for bribes.
“The billions and trillions you are managing at NSSF does not belong to you, it belongs to Kenyan savers,” he said.
He further criticised what he described as arrogance by NSSF management when appearing before parliamentary committees, insisting that the fund must respect Parliament’s oversight role.
The bribery allegations raised by Ichung’wah have not been established as findings of wrongdoing.
NSSF has previously been linked to a separate bribery case. In February 2019, two former enforcement inspectors were fined Sh1.3 million each after being convicted in a case involving allegations that they solicited and received a bribe to stop pursuing a company over outstanding contributions.
The case dates back to 2002 and took about 17 years to conclude.
