36 governors assent to Sh38 billion hospital equipment deal

President Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto inspect medical equipment presented at State House by Cheng Minghe of Mindray Megascope Health Care. It was procured through the Managed Equipment Services project earlier this year. Thirty-six governors have now signed on for the Sh38 billion medical equipment deal. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]

Thirty-six governors have signed on for the contested Sh38 billion-medical-equipment deal, The Standard has established.

Eight governors are yet to consent to the medical equipment lease but their colleagues Ali Roba (Mandera), Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega) and Nathif Jamah (Garissa) have given an undertaking to comply.

Among county chiefs who have remained defiant are immediate former Council of Governors (CoG) Chairman Isaac Ruto (Bomet), CoG Chairman Peter Munya (Meru), Salim Mvurya (Kwale), Moses Akaranga (Vihiga), Julius Malombe (Kitui), Josphat Nanok (Turkana), Hassan Joho (Mombasa) and John Nyagarama (Nyamira).

Surprisingly, the affected governors are also members of the seven-member select committee chaired by Governor Ruto to spearhead their referendum bid, dubbed ‘Pesa Mashinani’.

Except for governors Nyagarama, Nanok and Joho, the rest are mandated to identify the offensive clauses in the Constitution, which includes the autonomy of county governments.

Governors and the Ministry of Health have engaged in a war of words over the health equipment supply project, maintaining that despite the health sector being a fully devolved function, the latter did not consult extensively.

contentious issues

They have issued an ultimatum to the government to come clean and unravel the mystery on the medical equipment deal.

Though the governors have not specified their next course of action if the Ministry of Health fails to make public the parent contract with suppliers and equipment being procured, they have petitioned the Senate, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the office of the Auditor General to probe the matter.

The county chiefs want the government to deal with contentious issues raised concerning the project, such as infrastructure required and personnel.

CS James Macharia recently affirmed that due process was followed and the procurement procedure was above board.

“Governors were represented by their Health and Finance executives and they agreed the project was good,” said Mr Macharia.