Your loss, governors told in kits row

Counties which fail to sign up for the Sh38 billion medical equipment from the national government will forfeit them to regions that have complied, the Health ministry has warned.

Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said 35 governors had already signed up, with about 10 others expected to follow suit.

“We expect five or 10 governors not to sign the memorandum of understanding to lease the medical equipment, so we will have to give to those who want. We will not slash the Sh38 billion budget just because some counties have failed to sign up,” he said.

Although the ministry has stated that the equipment, which will be distributed to 98 level 5 hospitals across the country, would ease treatment of chronic diseases, some of the governors have vowed not to support the programme because they were not consulted during procurement.

During the launch of the medical equipment leasing programme by President Kenyatta last year, most governors skipped the event in protest, saying they were not part of the procurement process.

Yesterday, President Kenyatta launched the programme at Machakos Level 5 Hospital, which received radiation, renal and Intensive Care Unit equipment worth Sh800 million.

ALFRED MUTUA

Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua is among county bosses who have signed up for the equipment.

Mr Macharia said the equipment would next be taken to Homa Bay, Kakamega and Kiambu counties.

“Those governors who fail to sign up will have to explain to their people why they failed to sign up for equipment worth Sh800 million,” said the CS.

Yesterday, Mr Macharia defended the government decision to roll out the programme without involving the counties.

He said the procurement rules allowed for one level of government to supply another one, so long as there is a memorandum of understanding.

He said the leasing agreement with five leading multinational companies could not be done piecemeal, because the government wanted to take advantage of economies of scale.

The ministry also considered that counties had different capacities, and they could not be allowed to undertake the process on their own, said Mr Macharia.

He said some counties were also lagging behind in the provision of healthcare, with some allocating as little as two per cent of their budgets to health services, hence the need to create equity.

He was speaking at Kenya Medical Supplies Agency depot in Embakasi, Nairobi, during the launch of a five-year strategic plan that would see the national medicine supplier provide drugs to the 47 counties.