It’s a shame for Kenyans to die from basic health issues

It is embarrassing that Kenyans continue to die from illnesses and conditions that ordinarily should not form any part of our narrative. How shocking is it that a KCPE candidate in Gatanga sub-county succumbed to rabies shortly after completing her first papers?

The 14-year-old girl was a pupil a Mwiting’iri Primary School in Gatanga sub-county. Away from Murang’a, we have had several recorded deaths in Baringo and Kitui counties from snake bites.

While it is God who gives and takes lives, the deaths mentioned above should at the very least elicit collective anger among Kenyans. We should be angry that our children continue to die from the most basic of ailments.

Diarrhoea still remains a leading cause of death for children under five. Our health facilities are not up to scratch.

Lack of medicine is further complicated by a lack of practitioners. Yet some of the things that ail our healthcare system do not really need divine intervention.

One does not require a PhD in Aeronautical Engineering to figure out that a dispensary in Baringo ought to be stocked with antidotes.

But instead of providing these local solutions to these local problems, leaders mandated with seeking answers to the questions that bothered our grandfathers are busy creating newer, unnecessary problems.

For instance, MCAs were elected for the sole purpose of dealing with and solving the smallest of problems affecting their people, yet they call out the national government for help whenever sewers block in their wards. Instead of coming up with solutions, they are busy plotting the downfall of county speakers and extorting governors.

Our systems may not be perfect, but let us not add to the imperfection by deliberately not seeking solutions to our local problems. Even as the government struggles to offer services, let us all, in our individual capacities try and fix what we can.