The County Government of Kirinyanga dismissed 41 County Committee members barely a week after their appointment.
George Karoki, the Chief Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Medical Services, Public Health & Sanitation, who is part of Governor Anne Waiguru's Cabinet, announced the revocation of their appointments via a Gazette notice dated October 17.
“Pursuant to the fourth Schedule, Part 2 (2) (a) and (c) of the Constitution, section 36 (1) (a) and (c) of the County Governments Act, the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Medical Services, Public Health and Sanitation, revokes the appointment of Kirinyaga County Hospitals Management Committee Members and Kirinyaga County Facility Improvement Fund Board members,” read the notice.
In the October 11 Gazette Notice, the same CECM announced that members of both the Kirinyaga County Hospitals Management Committee Members as well as the Kirinyaga County Facility Improvement Fund Board had been appointed beginning September 30, 2024.
32 members had been appointed to the Kirinyaga County Hospitals Management Committee overseeing four sub-county hospitals among them Kerugoya County Referral Hospital.
Others are Kimbimbi Sub-County Hospital, Kianyanga Sub-County Hospital, and Sagana Sub-County Hospital.
"Pursuant to the fourth Schedule Part 2 (2) (a) and (c) of the Constitution, section 36 (1) (a) and (c) of the County Governments Act, the County Executive Committee Member for Medical Services, Public Health and Sanitation, appoints the persons listed in the schedule below to be members of the following respective County Hospital Management Committees for a period of three (3) years with effect from the date herein," read a October 11 notice in part.
Nine others had been appointed to join the Kirinyaga County Health Facility Improvement Fund Board. All appointees had been scheduled to serve for a period of three years.
Among their key duties was to supervise and ensure effective of management of hospitals in the County and enact progressive health policies.
"Pursuant to the fourth Schedule Part 2 (2) (a) and (c) of the Constitution, section 36 (1) (a) and (c) of the County Governments Act, as read together with section 7 (1) of the Kirinyaga County Health Facility Improvement Act, the County Executive Committee Member for Medical Services, Public Health and Sanitation, appoints the persons listed in the schedule below to be members of the Kirinyaga County Health Facility Improvement Fund Board for a period of three (3) years with effect from the date herein," the notice added.
The revocation comes weeks after their appointment was effected on September 30. It raises questions as to the intention of the revocation.
The revocation comes against a backdrop of 1,222 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) who the county trained early this year in its bid to enhance service delivery of primary healthcare within the County.
