- Services in all the 56 health facilities have been disrupted
- Leaders say Waiguru has refused to meet them or the striking health workers
Image: FILE
Three MPs from Kirinyaga have asked Governor Anne Waiguru to resign or they will force her out of the office for failing to end the health crisis in county hospitals.
MPs John Wambugu (Kirinyaga Central), Kabinga Wachira (Mwea) and Gichimu Githinji (Gichugu) said residents are fed up with the way the governor has handled the crisis.
Speaking after a church service at Holy Spirit Church Kagio in Mwea on Sunday, the legislators accused the governor of high-handedness in dealing with striking health workers and termed her a major impediment to solving the problem.
Wambugu said that the governor has demonstrated clearly that she is unable to govern and the only option left is to pave way for a more competent individual to assume office.
"I want to tell the governor to voluntarily step aside and let another person take over the work because it seems the job is too heavy for her and she needs lighter duties," he said.
The Kirinyaga Central MP said Waiguru has refused to meet elected leaders to thrash out problems facing the county.
Mwea MP Wachira said health should revert back to the national government since county governments have mismanaged it.
"We feel as elected leaders we have been failed by our governor. She has refused to meet striking health workers and even other elected leaders. We should tell her Kirinyaga is bigger than any one of us," he said.
On Sunday, Kirinyaga Deputy Governor Peter Ndambiri and Woman Rep Wangui Ngirici clashed at Nyaguthuci Catholic Church in Gichugu over the health crisis in the county.
Ngirici urged county leaders to dialogue with the striking health workers and find a lasting solution. Services in all the 56 health facilities have been disrupted.
"I have been using between Sh40,000 to Sh60,000 a week from my own pocket to foot medical bills for residents. Let the county sit down with the striking health workers since funds for the health sector are factored in the budget," she said.
But speaking in the same church, Ndambiri asked Ngirici to stop politicking at the expense of Kirinyaga residents' heath.
He urged Ngirici to concentrate on the work given by the electorate and let other leaders do their jobs.
The deputy governor said the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nyeri on Friday ruled that the strike is illegal and unprotected. He said this leaves the fate of striking health workers in the hands of the county government.