Medical equipment Kilifi went to Machakos, says CS James Macharia
Some of the equipment at Machakos Level Five Hospital. The equipment was diverted to Machakos after the Health ministry was frustrated by the Kilifi County government. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Governors had initially refused to take them saying they had been sidelined in their acquisition.
- The CS appeared before the National Assembly Health Committee.
Kilifi was to receive the first modern medical equipment but the county's government frustrated efforts by the Health ministry to take them there.
This made President Uhuru Kenyatta to launch the equipment in Machakos County in May.
Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia on Tuesday told a House team that the launch was diverted to Machakos after the ministry was frustrated by the leadership of Governor Amason Kingi.
Appearing before the National Assembly's Health committee, Mr Macharia said the Kilifi leadership refused to allow the ministry to deliver the kits to one of the county hospitals.
FIRST HOSPITAL
“We had identified Malindi Hospital as the first hospital to be equipped with the equipment but we were chased away by the governor,” said Mr Macharia.
The equipment was among those released by the national government at accost of Sh38 billion, but which faced opposition from the governors who wanted to be involved in the leasing.
The committee chaired by Kitui South MP Rachel Nyamai invited the CS to explain the circumstances that led the diversion, considering that Kilifi has poor health infrastructure.
The CS was responding to concerns by Malindi MP Dan Kazungu (ODM) who wanted to know if it was true that the hospital in his constituency was get the equipment.
COUNTY POLITICS
“We have talked with the leadership of this country and were told that the equipment taken to Machakos was supposed to go to Malindi but that county politics frustrated the plans,” said Mr Kazungu.
MPs from Kilifi said it was unfortunate that Kilifi leadership had cost them an equipped hospital that would have provided a solution to the healthcare challenges in the region.
“Is it true that the contractor was already at the hospital to upgrade it in readiness of the equipment but was chased away by the Kilifi governor?” asked Kilifi North MP Gideon Mungaro (ODM).
The CS said an advance team sent to prepare the ground for the launch of the equipment by the President was chased away by the county officials.
COUNTY DIRECTIVE
He, however, did not directly blame Mr Kingi, saying it was a “county government” directive to kick them out.
“The governor was not there in person but it was a directive by the county government. Kilifi had been planned to benefit first but now they will have to wait a bit longer. They are number 10 or 11 in the log,” said the CS.
Following the revelation, other MPs said they had faced similar challenges in their counties.
Bureti MP Leonard Sang (URP) said a Level Three hospital had been identified in Kericho for the placement of the equipment against a guideline that requires either Level Four or Five to be given priority.
