MCAs pass motion to surrender stalled referral hospital

Kakamega Teaching and Referral Hospital. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

The County Assembly has passed a unanimous motion seeking to transfer the stalled Sh10 billion Kakamega County Teaching and Referral Hospital to the national government for completion.

During debate on the motion Tuesday evening, MCAs said residents of Kakamega supported the county government’s plan to surrender the multi-billion-shilling project to the national government.

“From the public hearing, wananchi have accepted that the facility be transferred as soon as possible. The money earmarked for the facility in this financial year should be directed to improving our health centres,” said nominated MCA Violet Ananda.

Chairman of the County Assembly Committee on Health Services, Lucas Radoli, said all the 89 MCAs present supported the motion against one.

Radoli said erratic disbursement of funds by the National Treasury had slowed down construction works at the Level Six facility.  

The contractor, China Railway Jiangsu Engineering (East Africa), abandoned construction of the 750-bed capacity hospital in February last year over unpaid dues.