The Machakos County has finally got a substantive CEC for Health following the swearing in of Dr. Ancent Kituku Nzioka early Thursday.
Dr. Nzioka who had been heading the crucial docket in an acting capacity since March this year, was sworn into office by Machakos Senior Principal Magistrate (SPM), Caroline Ocharo during a ceremony held at the Governor’s office.
Area governor, Dr. Alfred Mutua witnessed the swearing in of the CEC, a PhD holder and a veteran researcher in the field of cancer, who previously served as the governor’s advisor on health matters.
His name was unanimously adopted by the Machakos County Assembly after he went through the vetting process conducted by the Committee on Appointments chaired by Speaker Florence Mwangangi.
While adopting the name, Ward Representatives described the 41 –year old scholar as a well trained professional whose vast wealth of experience will come in handy in the county’s healthcare program.
The event comes barely a week after Dr. Mutua opened a new ultra- modern Cancer Center and Research at the Machakos Level 5 hospital.
The facility, which is one of its kind by a county government, is expected to ease the burden of diagnosis and treatment of cancer which has become one of the leading lifestyle diseases in Machakos.
While congratulating him on his new appointment, the governor wished his executive member well as he welcomed him in spearheading the provision of quality services to the residents of the county.
“I have this morning witnessed the swearing in of Dr. Ancent Kituku Nzioka as the Machakos County Executive Committee Member for Health and Emergency Services at my Machakos Office. I wish him well as he continues to serve the great people of Machakos,”said the governor in the terse statement.
Dr. Mutua made far reaching changes in the county’s health sector in March this year in a bid to enhance service delivery.
Through Executive Order no.2 of 2019, the county chief also made changes in the administration of the health docket by appointing Dr. Nzioka to man the docket which had been dogged with accusations of corruption, lethargy and outright professional negligence.
In the order, the governor also ordered an immediate transfer of all health staff who had worked in one station for more than three years and an immediate vacation from office by health staff whose contracts had expired.
By Samuel Maina/Rachael Kilonzo
