Siaya County received Sh.97 million from the multi-billion National Covid-19 fund, area Governor, Cornel Rasanga has said.
Rasanga said that the whole amount was chanelled towards the construction and equipping of new 300 bed facilities in Siaya, Ugunja and Bondo sub counties.
Addressing the media on Sunday at his Segere village home in Siaya, the governor said that his government was forced to channel over Sh.117 million that was meant for recruitment of staff for the ministry of health to fight the pandemic.
The governor said of the Sh.117 million, Sh.50 million was used to settle an outstanding debt at the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA).
“I realized we had KEMSA’s debt of Sh.50 million which we decided to clear using part of the Sh.117 million and the balance is what has sustained our few operations,” said Rasanga.
He said the county government was expecting that the national government will disburse more money from the Covid-19 Fund to help them take care of the vulnerable members of the society, such as those living with disability and the elderly.
On the Covid-19 situation in the county, the governor announced that a county executive member, a doctor at Siaya county referral hospital and a driver have so far tested positive of the virus.
Rasanga said seven cases are currently under mandatory isolation while two are under home based isolation in the county.
He said the positive results amongst some members of staff had led to down scaling of operations in the county government offices, but assured members the public that normalcy would return soon.
“Since march 20, 2020 when the virus was first detected in Kenya, Siaya county has registered three deaths and 68 confirmed Covid-19 positive cases to date,” he said, adding that the low figures could be attributed to the measures his county government took by significantly reducing market activities and institution public health preventive measures.
During the press briefing, Rasanga who was flanked by county executive committee member for trade, Richard Mungla and the director of health, Ken Orwenjo, announced the immediate re-opening of the markets that were ordered closed at the advent of Coronavirus.
The governor also ordered the immediate resumption of revenue collection in all the markets,bus parks, kiosks and other sources of revenue that were also suspended four months ago to cushion the locals from the effects of the virus.
By Philip Onyango
