Governors bank on deal to cure healthcare woes
Seated from left: Governor Muthomi Njuki (Tharaka-Nithi), Chairperson of the Council of Governors Anne Waiguru and Fernandes Barasa (Kakamega) accompanied by other governors addressing journalists at Delta Corner Westlands in Nairobi on 19 January 2024.
Governors say they have inked a deal with the Ministry of Health on how the two levels of government will achieve transition from the Managed Equipment Services (MES) without disruption of health services.
The new agreement, Council of Governors chairperson Anne Waiguru said, will see the national government cover the cost of service and maintenance of the multi-billion shillings equipment in the first quarter of 2024, before a full agreement on the acquisition of new machines is finalised by July this year.
On Friday, Ms Waiguru announced the breakthrough saying they agreed that the Ministry of Health would cover the service and maintenance cost for the equipment for the first quarter at a negotiated fee, but with a caveat, that this be done under a strict deadline.
“We urge the Ministry of Health to fast-track contracting of the service providers and ensure that major service for all equipment is undertaken immediately across all counties by the end of January 2024,” Governor Waiguru said.
This development comes after the Ministry of Health and a select committee of CoG recommended the extension of the MES programme contracts by six months. The contracts expired last month.
The two organs held a meeting at the Kenya School of Government last Thursday, where Health CS Susan Nakhumicha and CoG select team led by Ms Waiguru met with the MES vendors and agreed to extend the contract.
CoG Health committee chairperson, Muthomi Njuki, after the meeting, said the two levels of government had made positive steps towards reaching an agreement on how to handle the MES while ensuring continuation of services.
Launched in May 2015 as a brainchild of former President Uhuru Kenyatta, MES entailed a seven-year lease programme to provide specialised medical equipment to counties at the cost of Sh63 billion.
In their statement after a full council meeting, the governors have demanded Sh450 Billion as equitable revenue share for the 2024/25 financial year and rejected the recommendations submitted by the Commission of Revenue Allocation and the National Treasury on the revenue sharing to counties for the same financial year.
The CRA had recommended that counties should receive a total of Sh398.14 billion.
For the county bosses, represented by the 27 who met for an extraordinary council meeting at the Council of Governors headquarters in Nairobi yesterday, nothing less than Sh450 billion will suffice for the aforementioned financial year.
“This will factor in adjustment for revenue growth, adjustment for inflation and the road maintenance levy fund projected allocation of Sh10.52 billion,” CoG chairperson, Anne Waiguru, who is also Kirinyaga Governor, said.
The counties, however, noted with concern the delayed disbursement of the equitable share of revenue saying they are now at three months on average in arrears.
As at yesterday, the counties were being owed a total of Sh81 billion as per the disbursement schedule approved by the Senate. This phenomenon, Ms Waiguru said, had affected their ability to effectively respond to emergencies, including the floods currently being experienced in various parts of the country.
