Government to blame for strikes in health sector
The Council of Governors (CoG) has blamed the national government for recurrent health workers’ unrest in counties following continuous delays in resource allocations.
Addressing participants during the opening of the 36th Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) annual seminar in Mombasa, COG chairman Wycliffe Oparanya warned that delays of resource allocations has been a continuous frustration to the health sector as counties have been unable to pay health workers on time.
It is for the above reason; Oparanya said the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has continued to take a heavy toll on various counties.
“There have been insufficient allocations of funds and delay of disbursements of resources to the county governments and today as I stand before you we have stayed without funds for the last three months and with such a flow of funds it will be very difficult to deliver services,” said Oparanya.
He further said that it is the responsibility of the national government to make sure that counties have the appropriate capacity and skills to deliver services but it is a function that has not been implemented by the national government as required by the constitution.
“There has been poor or absent of consultation on matters that are affecting county governments and especially at the national government level, parliament has been able to pass laws that are bringing the gains of devolution back especially in Health, Agriculture and water sectors this is a main issue”
Oparanya in addition said that corruption and fraud by county officials is wreaking havoc in county governments, adding that failure to allow public participation have seen many projects collapse.
The chairman urged the accountants to challenge themselves to suit new demands in the finance sector that have been brought by the pandemic.
Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa who accompanied him, said devolved units in the country were functional but face challenges especially in the financial sector.
Wamalwa emphasised that corruption is the main killer of devolution adding that it is necessary to ensure there is accountability as more resources are going were being sent to counties.
“The intention was to devolve resources and to ensure social economical development in the counties and creating an equitable society where no one is left behind, but in the process of devolving resources we also devolved corruption, even as we are engaging today in the national conversation about increasing resources to our counties, there is need to look at ways to strengthening mechanism of ensuring accountability and transparency in the management of this resources as more are sent to the counties,” added Wamalwa.
