National Assembly, Public Accounts Committee Chairman Opiyo Wandayi, now claims the collapse of health services in the Nyanza region is due to devolution.
Opiyo says governors who will be elected after the August 9th polls to come up with strategies that will revamp the sector and give it a first priority.
While addressing media in Siaya county, Opiyo specifically mentioned Homa Bay, Migori, Siaya, and Kisumu as counties with facilities offering poor health services.
The Ugunja Member of parliament observed that the counties under devolution, have experienced the opposite of the expectations which is close to a decade.
“Health was devolved to counties because it is an essential service that is required at the very basic level,” he said.
He noted that it was the hope of the framers of the constitution and Kenyans at large that the county governments will be equal to the task of handling the docket.
The PAC chairman said county executive committee members in charge of the health docket must be compelled to ensure that health care services in their areas are a reality.
“if this is not done, our people will look down upon devolution which our leaders, led by Raila Odinga fought hard for,” he said.
Opiyo lamented the counties continued to give residents a raw deal despite receiving millions of shillings annually from the national government to fund health care services.
“People are suffering a lot in these counties. It is either there are no drugs, the medical personnel are not available or are on strike, there is no electricity to run the essentials in the health care facilities and no equipment at all,” he lamented.
“Money is sent to the counties through the division of revenue process and conditional grants to enable the counties to deal with health issues,” he said.