Munya denies blocking medical equipment to Meru County
Meru Governor Peter Munya speaking at Timau Sub-County Hospital on April 14, 2016. He has told off his critics saying he does not have a bloated ego as claimed. PHOTO | PHOEBE OKALL | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The Meru MPs last week accused Mr Munya of sabotaging the national government’s Managed Equipment Service programme.
- Mr Munya criticised the MPs, saying they were acting out of desperation to show their support for the government.
- He said they had agreed that the medical machines would be installed at level four hospitals.
Meru Governor Peter Munya has defended himself against accusations by a section of Meru politicians that he has a bloated ego.
In a statement issued at Parliament on Thursday, a section of lawmakers, led by Senator Kiraitu Murungi, accused Mr Munya of sabotaging the national government’s Managed Equipment Service programme.
Mr Murungi and MPs Mithika Linturi (Igembe South), Rahim Dawood (Imenti North) and Joseph M’Eruaki (Igembe North), and Woman Representative Florence Kajuju warned that Meru was likely to miss out on the programme due to resistance from the county government.
“As elected leaders of Meru County, we shall not sit and watch our people suffer and die of cancer and diabetes just to satisfy the bloated ego of Governor Munya.
“We shall take very bold steps to ensure the equipment is delivered to Meru Level 5 Hospital as agreed between the ministry and the Meru County government,” the leaders said in the statement.
In a rejoinder, Mr Munya criticised Mr Murungi and the other lawmakers, saying they were acting out of desperation to show their support for the government.
PROVERBIAL TOAD
“The team led by the senator is like the proverbial toad in the book Things Fall Apart, which says ‘a toad does not run in the daytime for nothing’,” said Mr Munya.
He added: “Mr Murungi’s ego is far much [more] bloated than mine.
“If we held an ego competition, the senator would beat me outright. It is not true that my ego is bloated. I am doing my duty of serving the people of Meru.”
He urged the Meru MPs to give him room to discharge his duties as the county chief.
“I have no dispute with the MPs. The senator was not elected to criticise the county government. I request them to let me be,” he said.
Mr Munya said they had agreed that the medical machines would be installed at level four hospitals since the Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital is already equipped.
“It is only Bomet County that did not sign that deal,” he said.
“We don’t want to be accused of being a stumbling block to better healthcare.”
