The Kilifi government has unearthed a syndicate in which senior officials are allegedly collaborating with private clinics and chemists to steal drugs meant for public hospitals.
Governor Gideon Mung’aro said several people have been arrested and some private health facilities and chemists involved identified.
Mung’aro said county officials found culpable will be dismissed while facilities linked to the theft of drugs shall have their licenses revoked.
“We have discovered that there are people who, after we bring drugs to hospitals, they sell them. Unfortunately, some of those buying drugs are private clinics, chemists, others who are county staff are being investigated,” he said.
Mung’aro said they are giving the DCI time to investigate the matter before action is taken against those involved.
“When we are ready to announce the names of those involved, we shall call you and make the list public,” he said.
The governor was speaking during the launch of Kaunti Mashinani programme.
Mung'aro said Kaunti Mashinani will be the new style of work in which county leaders, including himself, will be moving out of their offices every three months to interact with residents at the grassroots.
He said this will help the county leadership to fully understand what is happening on the ground and what needs to be done for the people.
“This will be the new system in Kilifi that people move out of offices and go to the grassroots. From the governor, deputy governor, CECs to chief officers, we'll be going to the ground to initiate projects and inspect those going on,” Mung'aro said.
“This time we are doing it for two weeks and we shall be initiating new projects, monitoring is the projects done by the previous regime are benefitting residents or not,” Mung'aro said.
The governor said they have former eight teams that be dispatched to all subcounties. Kilifi North, which is vast, will have two teams, he said.
He said the CECs and chief officers will work closely with ward administrators, chiefs and their assistants to bring services to the grassroots.
Mung'aro said in the future the visits to the grassroots will be done weekly.
Kilifi Deputy Governor Flora Chibule urged CECs and chief officers to ensure devolution is being implemented fully through the programme.
“We believe through this channel there will be no more pending bills and we will make sure all projects come to fruition,” she said.
