Citizen TV expose on Kerugoya County Referral Hospital forces Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru to take action

Waiguru forced to take urgent action after embarrassing exposé

Charles Ouma

May 12, 2019 3:44 PM

Waiguru responds

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru durign a past appearance before the Senate (Twitter)

A day after an expose aired on Citizen TV revealed the appalling state of Kerugoya County Referral Hospital, subjecting Kirinyaga governor Anne Waiguru to public ridicule, the governor has responded by taking action.

The expose which showed that the hospital which recently laid off 200 casual workers, including cleaners had blocked toilets, unwashed linen, rotting garbage, and undisposed hospital waste.

The hospital also had acute water shortage, making the situation worse and exposing patients and hospital staff to infectious diseases.

Screen grab of the mess at Kerugoya County Referral Hospital Pulse Live Kenya

Responding to the expose which went viral on Sunday, the Kirinyaga Governor ordered for an immediate clean-up of the facility.

In a statement released to media houses on Sunday, the county boss directed the Kirinyaga County Secretary to constitute an emergency taskforce to clean up the hospital.

Screen grab of the mess at Kerugoya County Referral Hospital Pulse Live Kenya

The statement read in part that "This taskforce is mandated to carry out the immediate re-deployment of manpower to clean up and maintain standards in hygiene, public health, and safety at the hospital within 72 hours".

Waiguru explained following the upgrade of the facility and the number of services it offers, more patients have been seeking treatment at the facility and stretching its capacity to the limit.

The governor also directed that a new incinerator and laundry machines should be procured to remedy the situation.

State of Kerugoya County Referral Hospital after Governor Anne Waiguru moved in swiftly to sort out the mess Pulse Live Kenya

Waiguru also dragged politics into the mess at the health facility, maintaining that she will not be derailed by cheap politics in her quest to bring down the wage bill by laying off sme of the staff at the facility.

Kirinyagas wage bill is 46% of its revenue. That must change if we will see meaningful progress. We therefore refuse to be derailed by political shenanigans of those inciting staff to go on a go-slow citing removal of casual workers.By mid-day, the mess had been sorted with the governor taking to Twitter to update netizens of the changes.