Water and health sector management should be reverted to the national government as the counties have failed to handle the dockets.
Gem Member of Parliament, Elisha Odhiambo said the advent of devolution, much as it was meant to improve services to the rural areas had left most people in the grassroots suffering, as the county governments continue mismanaging the two crucial dockets.
Speaking at Mutumbu primary school in North Gem location Friday, when the Water cabinet secretary Simon Chelugui commissioned the construction of a borehole at the institution, the MP said he will mobilize likeminded members of the national assembly to push for the inclusion of the question on whether to have the water and health functions reverted to the national government during the Building bridges initiative referendum.
Odhiambo said that close to a decade since devolution took effect, the county government has not initiated any water project, while those that were handed over to it for management were failing.”Let us not cheat our people, health and water sectors that were devolved are collapsing,” he said, adding that in Siaya, there were no drugs in hospitals.
He said that unless the national government takes over these responsibilities, Kenyans will continue suffering while blaming the national government.
Odhiambo also called on the government to consider supplying water from Yala – Siaya – Bondo water project to Gem residents, lamenting that despite the intake being at Ndanu falls in Yala, the locals were left out.
Addressing the gathering, the cabinet secretary called on the county governments to improve water services, adding that he will not hesitate to take action against those that do not live to expectation. “It will not be business as usual for counties that fail to give its people clean, portable water,” said Chelugui.
The occasion was attended by among others, Siaya county commissioner Michael ole Tialal and Chief Administrative Secretary in the ministry of water Winnie Guchu.
By Philip Onyango
