Kiambu: Nyoro to seal loopholes in the county revenue collection
Kiambu County Government is sealing all the loopholes in a bid to stop the looting of revenue after it emerged that the county could be losing billions of shillings to the theft.
The Kiambu County Assembly Finance Committee recently issued a report indicating that hundreds of thousands of shillings collected daily end up in the pockets of some county employees and cartels. Yearly, the loss is estimated at hundreds of millions which denies the State the much-needed resources.
Governor Nyoro said his government had the capacity to collect up to Sh8 billion annually through various levies. However, he declined to comment on the financial report saying he was yet to read the document.
Speaking after he inspected Igegania level 4 Hospital in Gatundu North, the county boss said his administration is working to stop theft of public resources which has been rampant in the past.
He announced that in order to avoid embezzlement of money in the wake of Covid-19 related scams, all hospitals in the county will stop receiving cash payments.
Instead, patients will from September 1 be required to pay through mobile money transfer means for services offered at health facilities.
Improvement of hospital systems
The Governor announced that soon, Igegania hospital, the biggest in Gatundu North, will be upgraded to ease pressure caused on healthcare services by the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said the facility will be expanded to Level 5 status and allocated more personnel and equipment to offer effective medical care in the region and beyond.
His government, he added, will soon sign a memorandum of understanding with Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital (KUTRRH) to upgrade Gatundu Level Five hospital to a Level 6 facility and in turn, make Igegania Level 5.
The governor said that infrastructural development including establishment of a modern laboratory, a laundry and a kitchen will be done first for the facility to acquire the status.
The facility, he said, will effectively decongest the Thika Level 5 Hospital that receives patients from Murang'a, Machakos and Nairobi counties.
"Many of the Level 4 hospitals are disadvantaged as they do not get external support like Level two, three, and five hospitals that currently receive Universal Health Coverage support and unconditional grants respectively," Nyoro said.
Nyoro said Igegania hospital will also be given a facelift through the county financial support to offer quality services.
He called on the Ministry of Health to offer more funding to the Kiambu County health department saying that most of the county's health institutions are overstretched by an influx of patients, particularly from Nairobi County.
Additionally, he said the expansion of Githunguri hospital is ongoing at a cost of Sh570 million with Sh 200 million already allocated.
