KTN Staff Write Open Letter to Uhuru

President Uhuru Kenyatta in his office
President Uhuru Kenyatta in his office
File

The KTN News team has written an open letter to President Uhuru Kenyatta which was read during the news bulletin on Thursday night, December 10. 

The letter which was read by anchor Linda Ogutu sought to draw President Kenyatta’s attention to the health crisis in the country. 

“Here at our Mombasa Road watch tower; we can say we are doing generally well though a little troubled. Troubled by the happenings in our beloved country Kenya,” the letter started. 

An image of Linda Oguttu
Linda Oguttu anchoring news at KTN Studios.

The president was reminded about the prompt and effective actions he took at the start of the pandemic and how the situation had deteriorated leading to a strike by doctors and other frontline health workers. 

“How does it feel seeing the country’s frontline soldiers down their tools in the middle of such a tough and costly war like the one we are currently fighting? How did we get here Mr. President?

“How does it feel to hear a frontline worker plead for basic protective equipment to enable them to work effectively while the same are stacked up in some warehouse somewhere,” the team posed to Uhuru.

The editorial statement reminded the president of his directive that the corruption probe on Kemsa should be completed within 21 days yet nothing much had happened. 

Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi while appearing in the National Assembly on Thursday, had explained that the equipment at Kemsa warehouses was being treated as evidence and that the EACC had not released it. 

“Is it too much to ask that we see more deliberate efforts and resources directed towards ensuring that our frontline workers in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic are properly resourced and supported as they fight for us all?” KTN news team wondered. 

As the days inch closer to the nationwide strike, government departments have started to throw the blame at each other.

Treasury PS Julius Muia stated that the Ministry of Health had not requested funds in the supplementary budget and accused county governments of holding balances in excess of Ksh40 billion in their accounts. 

He was reminded by the MPs that counties could not arbitrarily use money which had been budgeted for other purposes to cater for the health crisis. 

Treasury committed to availing Ksh 500 million for the comprehensive health insurance for doctors as the NHIF was tasked in providing the necessary framework. 

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