PS Muraguri's strong responses to critics concerning key issues at Health ministry

Health Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri has taken on critics of programmes run by the Ministry of Health with strong responses.

As the PS and before as the Director of Medical Services, Dr Muraguri has been a fierce defender of the ministry. And it does not matter who he is up against.

In April, governors claimed the Government owed counties Sh7.2 billion worth of two years' arrears for free maternity reimbursements.

But Muraguri disputed the figure and accused the devolved units of poor book keeping.

"Every year, the amount allocated is Sh4.2 billion but it comes with conditions. It is not free money, there is nothing like free lunch. You deliver a baby, we pay you. This is just a budget. It does not mean it is your (governor's) money. The actual delivery must take place and the money coming must be devolved further to the facility where the child is born," he said.

"The money is stuck at the county level, which is wrong. Governors must show evidence that the money has gone to the actual facility," he said.

"We only owe counties Sh1.48 billion and not Sh7.2 billion," said the PS. "We are up to date with our figures this year. However, we have arrears of Sh1.4 billion for the 2014-2015 financial year and even the Treasury is aware of it."

In July 2015, the Catholic Church attempted to mobilise the public against a polio immunisation campaign.

This raised a storm in the Ministry of Health, which bulldozed its way through the exercise.

Muraguri told the Church that its plan to ask Kenyans to boycott the vaccine was a serious violation of the rights of children to health.

"We don't want to be like Nigeria where polio spread rapidly after religious leaders campaigned against the polio vaccination. The safety of the vaccine is beyond doubt," said Muraguri.

There was a similar resistance in November 2014, when the Catholic Church again expressed concern about a 'suspicious' tetanus vaccine that it claimed was being used by the ministry to sterilise young women.

Muraguri accused the Church of "baselessly politicising" the matter.