Barasa targets Bungoma's health crisis with populist reform agenda in 2027 governor bid

Kimilili MP and Bungoma gubernatorial aspirant Didmus Barasa during public engagement at Mungore market, Bumula Constituency. [Juliet Omelo, Standard]

The race to succeed outgoing Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka is gathering momentum, with Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa unveiling a populist campaign platform anchored on healthcare reforms, free ambulance services, road construction and support for vulnerable families ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Speaking during a public engagement forum at Mungore Market in Bumula Constituency on Sunday, he sought to position himself as a service-delivery-focused candidate in the increasingly competitive gubernatorial race.

“We want road construction and maintenance to become a continuous exercise so that residents can access markets, schools and hospitals without difficulties caused by poor roads,” Barasa said.

The legislator criticised the current state of public health facilities in Bungoma, saying residents continue to suffer due to delayed treatment, inadequate services and poor management systems.

According to Barasa, his administration would introduce a digital monitoring system in all county health facilities to improve accountability and efficiency in service delivery.

“Once I assume office, the system will be installed in all public facilities where patient data will be recorded immediately they arrive for treatment so that I can track how health providers are handling cases in our facilities,” he said.

He noted that the system would help reduce long queues in hospitals and ensure patients receive timely medical attention.

Barasa further proposed the separation of critically ill patients from those awaiting discharge or those with less serious conditions in a bid to reduce psychological distress among patients and families.

“The critically ill should be segregated from those who are due for discharge or those with less critical conditions to avoid traumatising patients and families,” he stated.

The UDA lawmaker also pledged to modernise health centres across Bungoma through infrastructural upgrades and improved medical equipment, saying residents deserve dignified healthcare services.

“It will no longer be the responsibility of the patient to look for medicine or X-ray services outside the hospital. The hospital itself must make arrangements to ensure patients receive all the required treatment,” he added.

Barasa also promised to roll out telemedicine services across the county to allow doctors in different hospitals to review patients’ records remotely and offer consultations online, particularly for residents in remote areas.

In what appeared to be a direct appeal to ordinary families struggling with rising healthcare costs, the MP announced that ambulance services between county hospitals would be offered free of charge under his administration.

“All ambulance services from one county hospital to another will be free so that families who cannot afford transport costs are not disadvantaged when seeking advanced treatment for their loved ones,” he said.

Beyond healthcare, Barasa pledged to upgrade vocational training centres across Bungoma to modern college standards by improving classrooms, roofing, and expanding learning facilities.

“We want our vocational training centres to match modern colleges in terms of infrastructure and learning environment so that our youth can acquire skills in dignity,” Barasa said.

On agriculture, the MP said his administration would introduce mechanisms to protect maize farmers from exploitation by middlemen by ensuring produce is bought at market prices before being stored and resold at the same cost to stabilise food prices.

He also promised to decentralise road construction machinery by ensuring every sub-county is equipped with at least one grader, a roller, an excavator and two tippers to support continuous road maintenance.

Barasa further sought to broaden his appeal among vulnerable groups by pledging support programs for single mothers abandoned by their spouses, saying many women continue to shoulder family responsibilities without assistance.

“We must widen the criteria for vulnerable groups so that struggling single mothers and neglected families can also benefit from government support and subsidies,” he added.