Kakamega governor candidate Cleophas Malala has said he will share executive powers with his deputy if elected in August.
He said deputy governors have in the past been treated as flower girls but he will treat the deputy governor's office with the importance it deserves.
Malala spoke in Butsotso Central ward when he met elders of the Batsotso community where his running mate Beatrice Inyangala comes from.
“The office of the deputy governor has always been despised and overlooked, but we have agreed that we shall allocate my deputy governor specific functions with a budget that will enable her to be an executive governor just like the governor,” he said.
Malala said more women should be encouraged to take leadership positions because once they make up their minds to stand for a cause, they never get compromised easily.
He said his deputy shall be given authority to run the government just like the governor as one way of preparing her to take over the county government in future, if she so desires.
Malala said his government will focus on service delivery to the people, unlike the current administration, which he said focused much on infrastructure.
“The outgoing governor did very well in constructing roads and hospital buildings, but he failed on the issue of service delivery," he said.
"My government’s focal attention will be service delivery to individuals because we want the people to feel the direct help from the government by equipping the hospitals with enough medicine, hiring enough doctors and nurses.”
The legislator said people over 60 years will be enrolled in the NHIF to receive free treatment in all county hospitals.
Malala said his government will cater to 30 per cent of the costs incurred by cancer patients in the county.
“We shall also empower the expertise of our community health workers by training them to handle patients and provide a first-hand service before they can be taken to hospitals. And we shall also provide motorbikes for their mobility,” he said.
Inyangala said her office will empower women through groups to engage in businesses and farming.
“I’m proud to work with Malala because his experience and expertise combined with my professional experience is what we need to take this county to the next level,” she said
Edited by A.N
