Kirinyaga MCAs on Wednesday, February 24 resolved to purchase ambulances for the county using car grants promised by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Citing the shortage of ambulances in the county that has forced them to use their own vehicles to ferry patients, the thirteen MCAs argued that the health sector needed a boost.
"As MCAs we take sick people to hospitals with our own vehicles due to the lack of ambulances. The vehicles we have are not equipped thus the condition of a patient may worsen, that is why we need many standby ambulances," stated Caroline Wanjiku, a nominated MCA also in the health committee of the assembly.
Thiba MCA Pius Njogu indicated that the cost of an ambulance is higher than that of a car hence they have agreed on getting one for every sub-county.
"The cost of an ambulance is high, it goes for approximately ksh5 million. We will not take the loan as Kirinyaga MCAs. Instead, each ward is going to have an ambulance from the car loan that the president said we will be given as a way to boost the health sector and also save lives,” he added.
Uhuru committed to facilitating all MCAs with a Ksh 2 million car grant during a meeting held at Sagana on January 30 connected to the passing of the BBI bill in counties. The grant was later approved by the Salaries and remuneration committee(SRC) on February 10.
The grant has however faced challenges since it was approved by the SRC. Margaret Nyakang'o the Controller of Budget (COB) addressed a letter to the SRC CEO Anne Gitau on February 21 seeking to halt the execution of the car grant to give room for resolution of fundamental matters.
Nyakang'o later clarified that the car grants will be issued following due process to save the MCAs trouble accounting for the grant in the future.
