Governors disagree with Health Committee over status of health services

Health workers from Nyeri County Referral Hospital demonstrate in Nyeri Town after they went on strike on August 17, 2015. While MPs on the National Assembly's Committee on Health insisted that the quality of health services in the country had deteriorated, the Council of Governors maintained the services had improved after devolution. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Health workers from across the country have been complaining about delayed salaries, with many yet to receive their July 2015 pay.
  • CoG said the view taken by the parliamentary committee was informed by "negative news" in the media.
  • Last week, 11 patients were reported to have died in Nakuru after health workers went on strike.

The Council of Governors (CoG) on Tuesday morning clashed with the National Assembly’s Health Committee over the state of health services in Kenya.

While the MPs insisted that the quality of health services had deteriorated, CoG maintained the services had improved after devolution.

CoG said the view taken by the committee was informed by "negative news" in the media.

The governors were meeting the committee to discuss the Health Bill, which has been introduced in the National Assembly through its first reading.

The committee has been taking views from the public before the Bill moves to the second reading.

Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto said the salaries of county government workers including governors had been delayed because of issues emanating from the National Treasury.

Health workers from across the country have been complaining about delayed salaries, with many yet to receive their July pay.

On Monday, health workers in Nyeri downed their tools to protest delays in their July salaries, paralysing services at major hospitals.

Last week, 11 patients were reported to have died in Nakuru after health workers went on strike.

A similar strike began in Makueni County on Thursday last week while in Kilifi, a deal between the county government and a nurses’ union ended a day’s strike on Wednesday last week.