Kisii Members of County Assembly are against the reversion of the health sector to the central government.
Speaking on Saturday in the county Boardroom when the senate committee toured Kisii to assess health services in level 5 hospital, the MCAs in solidarity scoffed off the bill by the National Assembly that aims at taking the sector back to the National government.
Instead, they asked the National government to trickle down more funds to help in improving health standards in the county.
“It is only two years since we voted in county governments, and therefore we cannot charge that they have failed to deliver or manage the health sector. The country did not resolve issues in the sector in the last 50 years, but an impact has been felt down the ground in the new system of governance,” noted Marani MCA Dennis Ombachi.
“Taking back the health sector to the National government will thwart the efforts of county governments to improve health standards in the country,” he added.
Wilfred Monyenye, who is the chairman of the county health committee, challenged the National government to release all funds allocated to the health sector, and condemned the National Assembly for sabotaging strides and efforts in transforming the sector in counties.
“Am an angry man when I hear that some people want to sabotage what the county governments are doing in the health sector. Were it not the new governance system that brought counties in place, we could have not seen tremendous achievements in the health sector in our county,” he noted.
Governor James Ongwae and Senator Chris Obure vowed to engage the National government in a fierce tussle against snatching back the health sector.
“There is a clear indication that the National government is fighting counties and that is why it wants to take back some of the devolved units. That is unacceptable and we stand against it. What have we not done for the two years we have been in place that the government could have done for the last 50 years?” asked Ongwae.
“I will support the senate committee to see that the health sector in retained at counties,” pledged senator Obure.
Ongwae questioned the manner in which the conditional grant for counties was reduced from Sh211 million in the year 2013/2014, to Sh83 million in the year 2014/2015 without clear reasons.
The governor asked the national government to reinstate the initial grant to enable counties carry out their mandate effectively.
The Senate health Committee, led by the Vice Chair Senator Ziporah Kittonyi is touring Level 5 hospitals across the country to assess the impact of devolution in health sector.
The committee resolved that county governments must be fully supported to enhance better service delivery.