Senator Karanja raises concern over healthcare crisis in Nakuru

Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja has criticised the county government over failure to invest in healthcare. [File, Standard] Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja Keroche has warned that declining health standards in the county pose a serious threat to the well-being of residents. Karanja claimed that vital medical equipment and ambulances have ceased operation despite the county receiving billions of shillings annually from the National Treasury. This statement follows a report from the Auditor General, which listed the county as one of the highest spenders on foreign travel while questioning the use of millions allocated for bursaries. The senator alleged that all the CT scans at the Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital (PGH) are out of service, forcing patients to seek treatment at private facilities in Nakuru. "The county spent over Sh540 million on foreign travel, which could have funded the purchase of eleven CT scan machines or 108 ambulances," she stated. Karanja made the remarks after meeting ODM grassroots leaders in Naivasha. "Currently, there is only one operational ambulance at Rift Valley PGH, and all CT scan and X-ray machines in hospitals are non-functional," she claimed. But the County Executive Committee member for Health, Roselyne Mungai, dismissed the allegations and accused the senator of playing politics. Mungai admitted that the health sector, like others, faced challenges but the county was working to address these issues amid increasing number of patients. "We are in the process of modernising our medical equipment, including the CT scanners, and we should stop politicising sensitive issues like health," she said. Karanja plans to petition the Senate to investigate the county's health situation and the continued shutdown of War Memorial Hospital. The senator further claimed that senior officials were seizing hospital land for personal development projects. "We know who benefited from the hospital land, and the biggest mistake the people of Nakuru made was electing a politician instead of a capable manager," she said. She highlighted Nakuru's significant potential in agriculture, education, and hospitality but lamented the lack of development compared to other counties. Karanja pointed out that years after the implementation of devolution, Nakuru was yet to establish industrial parks, unlike Murang'a, which receives less funding from the Treasury. The senator hit out at the county administration, saying that many capital projects initiated by the previous government have not been completed. "We are genuinely concerned about the lack of meaningful development in Nakuru, especially considering we earn over Sh25 billion each year from revenue and equitable resource sharing," she said. She urged the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the transfer of public land near the ASK Showground in Nakuru, which was approved for the construction of a mall. Nakuru ODM chairman Bernard Miruka called on the senator to support local youth to help them access employment opportunities.

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Senator Karanja raises concern over healthcare crisis in Nakuru

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