DP Ruto ask counties to prioritise issues raised by healthcare workers
Deputy President William Ruto has said the concerns being raised by the medical workers in the country should be urgently addressed over other issues.
The protectives, he said, should be given to the medics for use during this period adding it was wrong to continue holding it as health workers in the country suffer.
Ruto also asked counties to prioritize issues to do with the medics as allowances, protective, and salaries.
Speaking in Kericho during a funeral service for the late retired lieutenant General John Koech, the DP while in defence of the workers noted that their demands should not be taken lightly or for granted since they are the ones who work to ensure good healthcare of the people.
Pouring cold water into the looming referendum, Ruto said the focus at the moment should be on how to deal effectively with the crisis in the health sector, "and the only way possible is to have the concerns by our medics addressed first."
He further stated that the ministry of health has been directed to release the Personal Protective Equipment which he said were lying in stores as investigations into alleged procurement processes continue.
Area governor Paul Chepkwony, Energy CS Charles Keter, Senators Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeiyo Marakwet), Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho), Millicent Omanga, MPs Sylvanus Maritim (Ainamoi), Nelson Koech (Belgut), Johanna Ngeno (Emurua Dikir), Geoffrey Kingangi (Mbeere South) and Kericho Woman Representative Hellen Tapnyolei were present.
Murkomen and Cheruiyot echoed the sentiments saying as leaders we should not be distracted by the clamor for a constitutional change at the expense of a health crisis in the country.
Murkomen said the Sh14 billion set for a referendum and another Sh10 billion allegedly for campaigns should be diverted towards universal Health Care for use in battling the pandemic.
"Let us ensure the health care of our people is taken care of instead of rushing to meet our self demands which are not priorities at the moment," he said.
Koech on his part called on leaders in the country to emulate the men in uniform of being respectful to one another.
The late Koech died a week at a Nairobi hospital after and a short illness.
Vice chief of defence forces Levy Mghalu delivered President Uhuru Kenyatta's tribute message.

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