KBC Channel 1

Tag: Nakuru County Government

  • Nakuru County flags off drugs worth Ksh 97 million

    Nakuru County flags off drugs worth Ksh 97 million

    Nakuru County Government has distributed the fourth tranche of drugs and non-pharmaceuticals worth Ksh 97 million in line with Governor Susan Kihika’s pledge to ensure an all year round supply of medicine in county hospitals.

    The latest disbursement will benefit dispensaries, health centers, and low-volume Level Four Hospitals across the county.

    Deputy Governor David Kones revealed that the consignment purchased from Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA), Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS), and local suppliers aims to enhance healthcare accessibility and curb any shortages in the health facilities.

    It includes essential medicines, Laboratory, dental, linen products, oncology/cancer, public health, renal products, medical equipment and devices among others.

    While flagging off the consignment at the County Headquarters, Kones disclosed it includes drugs worth Ksh 45,246,030 and non-pharmaceuticals amounting to Ksh 52,609,747.

    In his remarks, Kones assured Nakuru residents that the county is working in collaboration with partners to improve services in public health facilities.

    He added that the county was also addressing the shortage of drugs and non-pharmaceuticals in hospitals.

    Furthermore, the county is actively modernizing healthcare facilities by adopting new technologies to enhance service delivery.

    Kones instructed the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health to ensure the successful delivery of the consignment to the intended recipients.

    Report by KBC Digital

  • Nakuru County Gov’t to construct 50,000 affordable housing units

    Nakuru County Gov’t to construct 50,000 affordable housing units

    Nakuru County Government has identified public land in Naivasha, Bahati, and Molo sub-counties for an ambitious project to construct 50,000 affordable housing units.

    The County Executive for Lands, Physical Planning, Housing, and Urban Development, Mr. John Kihagi today led a team from the State Department of Housing on a site visit to assess the readiness of proposed lands in the three sub-counties.

    He said: “the purpose of today’s visit is to prepare for the upcoming groundbreaking event by President Dr. William Ruto and Governor Ms. Susan Kihika in the coming months.’’

    Kihagi said the Affordable Housing Project is a collaboration between the National Government and Nakuru County, with the goal of promoting urban economic growth, improving livelihoods, and creating job opportunities.

    He noted that affordable housing was in high demand in the county, and gave an example of the first project at Bondeni with 600 houses, which have all been sold out, and it has changed the insecurity image of the area.

    The county executive stated that affordable housing projects have the capacity of alleviating the prevalent shortage in the country and provide decent accommodation for middle and low-income families, who have often borne the brunt of staying in slums.

    He appealed to wananchi to be at the forefront of supporting the government’s Bottoms Up Agenda, since they are the major target for better living conditions than informal settlements, which lack proper infrastructure, sanitation, and safety measures.

    Additionally, Kihagi said affordable housing projects would spur economic growth and job creation in various sectors, including construction, manufacturing, and services.

    Apart from that, the officer emphasized that properly designed affordable housing projects contribute to well-planned urban development since they are easily integrated into existing urban areas, hence reducing urban sprawl. And they ensure access to essential services and public infrastructure.

    Overall, Kihagi noted, adequate housing can enhance social stability by providing individuals and families with a sense of security and belonging. And, that would reduce instances of displacement, and arbitrary migration from town to town.

    He said affordable housing projects come with financing options that make it easier for people to purchase or rent properties, and that enables the government to pull a significant number of people out of poverty.

  • Nakuru County denies over 20 newborns are dying in Naivasha Hospital

    Nakuru County denies over 20 newborns are dying in Naivasha Hospital

    The Nakuru County Government has denied that over 20 newborn babies are dying at the cash-strapped Naivasha Sub-County Hospital every month.

    The County in a fire-fighting exercise noted that the hospital which also serves part of neighbouring counties of Narok and Nyandarua had lost 24 minors in the last three months.

    Early in the week, the committee on health from the county assembly was informed by the health workers that the facility was losing between 20 and 25 newborns every month.

    During a fact-finding mission, it emerged that over 60 per cent of medical machines had broken down, suppliers were owed over Ksh 300 million and patients had challenges getting food.

    But the CEC for Health Jacqueline Osore downplayed this noting that the Level IV hospital was among one of the best equipped and funded facilities in the county.

    Addressing the press after visiting the facility, she said that between April and June, the hospital recorded 1,452 deliveries with 24 dying either at birth or on arrival.

    “The maternity wing has six incubators and all are working and the information about losing 25 minors every month is totally wrong,” she said.

    Osore added that plans were underway to equip the newly constructed wing at a cost of Sh300m noting that this would help improve service delivery.

    “The President has promised that the national government will help equip Nakuru PGH and Naivasha Hospital in the coming months,” she said.

    The CEC attributed the staff crisis in the hospital to the end of the contract of several workers adding that the process of replacing them was going on.

    On the Sh300m owed to suppliers, she said that the hospital accrued the bills during the Covid-19 pandemic adding that the county was working to pay the debts.

    “The hospital revenue in the last quarter has risen from Sh50m to Sh76m and this is what the hospital is using to buy drugs from KEMSA,” she said.

    The Director of Medical Services in the county Dr Daniel Wainaina said that the issue of diet mainly in the maternity wing had been addressed.

    “We have adequate food supplies for all patients in the wards and we are keen on their diet as part of their treatment,” he said.

    The Superintendent in charge of the facility Dr Bernard Warui downplayed the crisis in the laboratory where all machines had broken down.

    “We have enough and working machines in the laboratory contrarily to other reports and services in the facility are running smoothly,” he said.

  • Nakuru County Gov’t to support implementation of Data Protection Act

    Nakuru County Gov’t to support implementation of Data Protection Act

    Nakuru County Government intends to have all their contracted and aspiring suppliers registered with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) as part of the enforcement of the Data Protection Act among the contractors.

    The Act, which was enacted in 2019 requires any organization that handles Personal Data to be registered with ODPC as a commitment to protect information in their possession regarding individuals they interact with as clients or partners in business.

    According to the Act, one can be fined up to Ksh 5 million for causing a breach of Personal Data in one’s possession. Protection of Personal Data in Kenya is a constitutional right that is guaranteed under the right to privacy.

    Personal Data is any information about an individual that can be used to identify the person and it includes one’s national identity card, health status, telephone number, biometric data, ethnicity, birth certificate, location, and marital status.

    ODPC categorizes personal data handlers into two: Data Controllers and Data Processors, with the former defined as individuals or lawful organizations that collect information on an individual for service delivery purposes and therefore, they determine the use of the records, while the latter gather the information on behalf of the users.

    Data Controllers include health facilities, financial and learning institutions, as well as hotels while Data Processors comprise bank and mobile service provider agents and security personnel at entrances to buildings.

    To ensure Data Controllers and Data Processors secure the Personal Data they collect, the Act requires they be registered with ODPC, which is charged with regulating the use of the data and protecting the data subjects against breaches of their records.

    Speaking when opening a public awareness workshop organized by ODPC at a Nakuru hotel, area Deputy Governor David Kones said the County Government was committed to the protection of Personal Data as spelled out in the Act and was ready to comply with the same.

    “As a County Government, we must commit ourselves to respect the Data Protection Act, 2019,” said Kones, adding the administration had a lawful basis to collect Personal Data for service delivery and as a result, various departments held a lot of information on individuals.

    He said consequently, the County Government was bound to put in place safeguards to protect the data in compliance with the Act.

    Yusuf Momanyi, an officer with ODPC and who represented the Data Protection Commissioner, Immaculate Kassait during the one-day workshop, commended Nakuru County Government for their readiness to collaborate with the Office in Personal Data protection and commitment to cascade the same to their contracted and aspiring suppliers.

    Urging participants to guard any second party Personal Data in their possession against breach, Momanyi reminded them abuse of such information could attract heavy fines if victims launched complaints with ODPC and it was confirmed to be true.

    Breach refers to accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, or alteration of Personal Data due to insecurity. It also includes disclosure, access, transmission, storage, or processing of an individual’s records without the subject’s authority.

    The Tuesday Nakuru workshop is part of a series of public sensitization campaigns ODPC is holding in all counties under an arrangement the organization calls County Awareness Outreach Program, to educate the public on the need to protect personal data as well as the mandate and role of the organization.