Days after Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua exposed a drug theft syndicate, another county head has swung into action and busted a similar cartel operating in his county.
Trans Nzoia Governor Patrick Khaemba, on Friday, suspended five senior officials from health department over allegations that they conspired with cartels to steal drugs from a public hospital.
Speaking at the multi-billion county referral hospital construction site, the governor claimed that the cartels had paralysed operations after siphoning millions of shillings from the health sector.
He further stated that the culprits would be taken to court over the matter.
He also divulged that the cartels had been working with the sectors officials to steal drugs and other hospital equipment.
“I am directing that all those people who have been working with the cartels to be suspended forthwith," stated Khaemba.
This came even as the governor admitted that the health sector under his government was in crisis following months of public pressure.
The governor, however, revealed that the county would not heed to the demands of the striking nurses who want a salary increase.
"The strike is illegal and should be called off since there is a court order stopping it. Nurses need to go back as directed by the court," he told the gathering.
On Thursday, Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua unearthed drug theft operation at the Machakos Level 5 hospital that led to four arrests.
Mutua was accompanied by police officers on a raid to private pharmacies and clinics that were using medicines and lab reagents from the public hospital.
