Governor Mbarire vows to reform health sector and end graft
Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire delivers her speech during the official opening of Embu county Assembly on October 5, 2022. She pledged to reform the health sector and root out corruption.
Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire yesterday vowed to reform the health sector and end graft as she outlined her development agenda.
Speaking during the official opening of the Embu County Assembly, she pledged that she will work with members of the county assembly (MCAs) irrespective of their political affiliation.
"It is an open secret that corruption was the order of the day in the past and I commit to exercise zero tolerance to this vice," she stated.
She continued: "My administration assumed office against the backdrop of gross mismanagement of budgetary resources. This is evidenced by over Sh2.2 billion in unpaid bills as captured by the governor’s assumption of office committee report."
She lamented that some healthcare facilities were not functioning properly and were surrounded by rotting mountains of garbage.
She observed that hospitals lacked linen for patients and adequate food, while many projects had stalled.
She said the situation was ‘serious’ and vowed to improve services.
Embu Level Five Hospital, she noted, has incomplete buildings, while Siakago Level Four Hospital has an outpatient building whose construction started in 2015 but is incomplete and dilapidated.
The Siakago mortuary had not functioned for the last five years.
She also cited Runyenjes Level Four Hospital, saying its inpatient building, where work started in 2015, has not been completed.
"In a nutshell, our health facilities are in poor condition and not adequately equipped to serve our people,” she said.
“Our priority is to complete all these ongoing projects and operationalise them before embarking on new ones, a proposal we are requesting this House to support."
Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire arrives at Embu County Assembly on October 5, 2022. She promised to reform health sector and root out corruption.
She said urban centres were in a sorry state, especially Embu and Runyenjes, which she said have become dumpsites for waste.
"This gives a very bad image of the county," she said.
She promised that her administration will develop a sustainable strategy to handle the garbage menace.
"My administration is in the process of procuring garbage trucks, skip loaders, buckles and bins to ensure our towns and the surroundings are kept clean,” she said.
“We are also exploring the option of leasing … garbage collection trucks to ascertain if it is a more cost-effective way as opposed to direct acquisition."
She also promised to prioritise agriculture, with emphasis on revamping extension services to support farmers and enhance production.
Residents will also be provided with water for irrigation during dry periods.
She said the region over-depended on rain-fed agriculture and “the increasing climate change challenges calls for water harvesting programmes”.
She said county officials were working with the Tana Water Works Development Agency to help the county “develop a water master plan for domestic use”.
“Further, we are partnering with the national government and development partners in ensuring the implementation of the three mega dams, namely, Thuchi, Rupingazi and Kamumu dams, even as we invest on smaller cost-effective earth dams," she said.
Ms Mbarire also promised to promote tourism.
She said her administration will position the county as a tourist destination in the Mt Kenya tourism circuit by developing niche tourism products.
Top among them are the Mwea Game Reserve, water sports in the Masinga dam spillway, kayaking, agri-tourism and sports tourism.
The county will also develop an alternative route to climbing Mt Kenya.
Ms Mbarire said she would work to empower women and youths.
"My government has established a dedicated youth and women ministry which will be well funded,” she said.
“We shall promote the creative industry and sports through talent scholarships and funding. We will also find ways of financing the youth [and] women groups in order to empower them in businesses by ensuring that they access government procurement opportunities."
Young people and women, she said, play a key role in development and should be empowered financially.
She added: "Let us roll up our sleeves and play our part in the service to our people, the electorate of Embu County who bestowed their trust on us."