County chiefs decline Sh1.8bn for hospitals

What you need to know:

  • Mr Ranguma asked the national government to fully transfer management of the health to avert a crisis in the future.

Governors have turned down the Sh1.8 billion allocated to counties for running Level 5 hospitals.

The Council of Governors’ health committee said that the amount was too little.

Chairman Jack Ranguma said that the Sh38 million given to each county is a drop in the ocean.

The Kisumu Governor said that the common people will continue receiving poor medical services because of financial constraints.

MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH

Mr Ranguma asked the national government to fully transfer management of the health to avert a crisis in the future.
“The cash is not enough to improve healthcare for the people,” he said.

Mr Ranguma said that under-funding was the cause of the unending crisis in trade, agriculture, early childhood education and health in the devolved units.

“Most counties have an average population of 1.2 million people. Sh1.8 billion shared among the 47 counties is not enough with the challenges that still exist in health services,” he said.

“These meagre allocations will still force counties to look for alternative means to fund the budgets.

The governor was reacting to a decision by President Uhuru Kenyatta to sign the Division of Revenue Bill on Wednesday which allocated Sh226 billion to the counties.

He was speaking during the flagging off of a campaign against malaria at the Kisumu County headquarters.

The drive targets Homa bay, Siaya, Vihiga and Migori and will ensure two people in a family receiving a treated mosquito net.

Speaking separately on the phone, Homa Bay MP Peter Kaluma, said the Jubilee government was unfair to counties.