- Whereas some Governors are being lauded for their stepped up measures to avoid catastrophe in their counties, others were berated.
- On Saturday, President lifted the lid on the level of counties unpreparedness to handle the respiratory disease which he noted played key in his decision to delay reopening of the country’s economy despite the effects restrictions has cost the nation.
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s sustained war against coronavirus in the country has smoked out bad governance that Kenyans are contending with in devolved units.
Whereas some governors are being lauded for their stepped up measures to avoid catastrophe in their counties, some county chiefs are still dragging the war despite billions allocated to devolved functions, health included.
On Saturday, President lifted the lid on the level of counties unpreparedness to handle the respiratory disease, which, he noted, played key in his decision to delay reopening of the country’s economy despite the effects of the restrictions.
Citing Siaya and Busia counties, the President noted that a number of governors are still grappling with establishing quarantine and isolation centers, basic facilities in containing the spread of the virus.
For instance, Siaya - in what appeared to be public indictment of governor Cornel Rasanga’s administration – had only 10 isolation beds of which nine are already occupied.
Isolation centers serve to contain confirmed Covid-19 positive cases and only extreme ones are taken to ICU facilities.
The two counties, he noted, have their isolation beds already full but only a few cases have been reported.
“Have we met the second minimum of a prepared health system with isolation facilities? I will answer that question by giving you two examples. Siaya County has a ten bed isolation facility and they have already admitted nine Covid-19 patients from only one incident,” Uhuru said.
Busia’s 34 isolation beds were filled in two days after a sudden surge in the number of Covid-19 cases following the mass testing of truck drivers at the Kenya-Uganda border.
As if reading from the President’s script, senators have moved to summon Council of Governors chairman Wycliffe Oparanya to explain how the counties have utilised the money they have received to fight Covid 19 pandemic.
Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka last week directed the ad hoc committee on Covid 19 situation in the country to summon the CoG boss and Isiolo Governor Mohamed Kuti, who is the Council’s chairman of health subcommittee.
The directives followed an intervention by Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo, who demanded to know how the counties have spent the billions received from the national government and donors.
Speaking to the Star, Alego Usonga MP Sam Atandi said governors must up their game and deliver to Kenyans in the area of health.
He said the President’s singling out of select counties which are dragging the anti-Covid war should be an eye opener to those county chiefs.
“Most counties are not doing very well even if you look at all devolved functions. If you go to counties you find half of the budget is applied on roads because that is where they can steal,” said Atandi.
Dullo had demanded a breakdown of all the Covid-19 response funding through budgetary allocations from the national government and other donors in all counties.
The Treasury disbursed Sh5 billion in Covid-19 grant to counties only last week Thursday.
“I want to Confirm PPEs support extended to all county governments and indicate how they were distributed,” she said.
The senate deputy majority leader further wanted the CoG to provide details of expenditure by counties in relation to all the virus response funds for the national government and donors.
While contributing to the statement, Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei claimed that close to Sh10 billion have been disbursed to the counties but not much has been done in terms of preparedness.
“On the issue of the allocation of funds, we are aware that many counties have disbursed funds. In my county, the county government has failed to distribute masks and sanitisers,” he said.
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja, who chairs the ad hoc committee, said his panel has received disturbing report from showing that 27 counties do not have a single ICU bed despite the billions they receive every year to improve health care.
“Isiolo County will need 822 ICU beds and 2,549 hospital beds (by the end of the year). Are you even a quarter way to that? Kisii County will need 3,326 ICU beds and 10,318 hospital beds. Are we close to that?” He posed.
Citing a report by the Kenya Aids Vaccine Initiative tabled in the committee last week, Sakaja said about 57 per cent of the national requirements for the resources are needed in 15 counties.
Nairobi, Kiambu, Meru, Machakos, Nakuru, Kakamega, Siaya, Murang’a, Homa Bay, Kitui, Makueni, Kisumu, Kilifi, Bungoma and Nyeri counties are at highest risk, he said.