REVENUE COLLECTED FROM HOSPITALS TO BE PLOUGHED BACK TO THE FACILITIES ~ GOVERNOR OPARANYA

Governor Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya has directed that funds collected as revenue from all health facilities in the county will be ploughed back to the facilitied enhance service delivery. The governor has further directed all hospitals above Level 1 to budget for their requirements before funding is done to ensure their needs are well captured to enhance efficiency in the sector.

The Hospital fund, will ensure money generated by the hospitals is pumped back to the facilities and will operate like the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) to make sure the flow of funds to health facilities is done in a procedural manner.

The governor was speaking at Golf hotel, Tuesday afternoon during a County revenue meeting attended also by the deputy governor H.E. Prof. Philip Museve Kutima.

“The monies we receive in form of grants and from partners will, going forward, be channelled to the county through a special account at the Central Bank of Kenya and directed towards the intended purpose,” he added.

In the water sector, the governor has directed the CEO of Kakamega County Urban and Water Sanitation Corporation (KACUWASCO) Mr. Fred Atua to prioritize provision of in-built solar powered system for all water projects initiated in the county. This he said, will reduce the over reliance on electricity which is very costly and also fix the frequent power outages that affect the normal operations in the sector. “Some regions are experiencing water shortages due to lack of equipment like the transformer hence the need to connect our water lines with solar,” he said. Malava town is currently experiencing a water shortage due to that reason.

The county boss also announced that the County Government is engaging the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) to devise a system that will ease movement of cash flow and also enhance accountability. “Very soon you will no longer be required to sign any document in order to receive government funds for whatever purpose,” he said. Instead, the governor added, all money requests, approvals and transfers will be effected through a centralized system at the finance office.

The Ministry of Agriculture was also tasked by the governor to report in the subsequent meeting on the status of farm inputs; fertilizer and maize, that the county government is supplying to farmers at subsidized rates.

The revenue collection task which has for months now been a responsibility of senior government officers will from 1st July 2020 be transferred to the Kakamega Revenue Agency, headed by madam Beatrice Memo.

Earlier in the day H.E. the governor hosted a team from Kenya Commercial Bank who briefed him on the progress so far made towards revival of Mumias Sugar Company and the business development of the county in relation to the cashless system that is aimed at enhancing revenue collection.

Consequently, the governor welcomed a senior officer into the county government system, Mr. Peter Atsiaya, as the head of the Governor’s Press unit (GPU). He will be charged with coordinating the governor’s activities.

Also in attendance were CECMs, County Secretary and Head of Civil Service Madam Jacinta Aluoch Odhiambo, her deputy Mr. Joshua Kutekha, Vice Chair County Public Service Board John Subai, Chief Officers led by Service Delivery CO Amb. James Ochami, County Attorney Moses Sande, CEOs, Advisors, Head of Departments and sub county administrators among others.