Bomet county is now blaming the national government for the shortage of medicine in health facilities.
Governor Hillary Barchok exonerated himself from any blame saying the Treasury is yet to release funds since December thus hampering delivery of crucial services.
However, he assured patients that the essentials medicine is available and he is in talks with the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority to ensure drug shortage is curbed.
Brachok also said the main health facility-Longisa County Hospital had not experienced any paralysis of services and has adequate supply of drugs.
“We all know the Treasury has not released funds to the counties since December and that is why some crucial services have been affected in our health facilities," Barchok said.
"We have ensured that the essential medicine is available.”
Barchok spoke during a function at Chemaner in Bomet East on Wednesday.
Barchok statement comes even as the Chama Cha Mashinani leader Isaac Rutto said there was no justification for the Treasury to delay the release of funds to the county.
Rutto argued that the delay is due to ‘technical issues’ which include failure by a particular county to submit expenditure of revenues, budget work plan, annual development plan and payment plan for suppliers and contractors to the Controller of Budget.
“There is no way Treasury can fail to release funds, we have never had ,the problem is that some counties fail to adhere to laid down procedures by the C0B,” Rutto said during an interview on Kass TV.
But, in a quick rejoinder, Barchok told off the former governor saying the issue was not affecting Bomet alone but all counties.
“Treasury has not released funding for several months to almost all counties and not Bomet alone. So for someone to insinuate otherwise is not only a slip of the tongue but also misleading,”he said.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)
