Nyong'o brief on why he sacked Health minister

Former Kisumu County executive member for health Rosemary Obara while addressing the press at Kisumu County Hospital on February 5, 2019. (Collins Oduor, Standard)

Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong’o has defended his decision to replace Health CEC Rosemary Obara with university lecturer Judith Miguda-Attyang' saying this was informed by need to borrow sound national health policies.

Prof Attyang’ is chairperson of the Intergovernmental Technical Relations Committee’s Health (IGTRC) sub-committee. IGTRC offers policy advisory to national and county governments and implements some decisions of the governments.

Prof Nyong’o said the new CEC will ensure progressive policies in the health docket, including the ambitious Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, which Kisumu is among pilot counties.

County spokesperson Aloice Ager explained that Attyang’ will inherit a team of experts to help improve service delivery in the docket, which is one of the governor’s legacy projects.

“The role of a CEC is to canvass the human resource around department goals; the post requires a good manager, not necessarily a technocrat,” he said.

Mr Ager said dropping of Dr Obara, a public health specialist, picked while serving as head of Kisumu reproductive health unit, was consultative.

Being charged

He denied claims the former CEC was facing investigations relating to the docket. 

“Obara’s integrity and capacity to deliver are not in question; in fact the governor believes she delivered her best,” Ager told Saturday Standard.

Her sacking came at a time when the county is struggling with implementation of UHC.

Residents had complained of being charged for services which ought to be free under the scheme after the county was unable to procure laboratory reagents and non-pharmaceuticals from Kenya Medical Supply Agency.