Kirinyaga leaders clash over state of medicare

Deputy Governor Peter Ndambiri and Women Rep Wangui Ngirichi at Nyagithuci Catholic church on Sunday. The two differed over the medics strike [Standard]

Deputy governor Peter Ndambiri and Woman Representative Wangui Ngirichi have clashed over the state of healthcare in the county.

The two met at Nyagithuchi Catholic Church fundraiser in Kirinyaga East Sub-County on Sunday where Ms Wangui criticised the county administration for failing to restore the collapsed healthcare.

“We feel the county government is a total let down to our people who have been forced to travel to neighbouring counties in search of health services,” she told the congregation.

She gave the county administration seven days to resolve issues raised by striking medics failure to which she would mobilise all professionals from the area to join the protest as she moves to court to sue the county government.

But in a rejoinder, Ndambiri linked the stalemate to high-level politics.

He said Ngirichi was among politicians who allegedly incited the medics to go on strike.

“It has now clearly emerged some of our leaders were out to achieve political mileage while using the health workers as their springboards,” Ndambiri claimed.

He said the Employment and Labour Relations Court having declared the strike illegal and unprotected, it was upon all leaders from the area to drop their political posturing and work towards finding a solution.

But the MP told Ndambiri that were it not for her impromptu visit to the Kerugoya Referral Hospital on learning of its filthy state, the county government would still be in denial.

“I was shocked beyond words on visiting the facility and what I found at the health facility. But the county government kept on denying the facility was in a sorry state," she said.

During the Sunday encounter, Ndambiri urged the medics still on strike to resume work