Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Wednesday, September 10, publicly confronted the contractor tasked with the construction of Ziwa Level 5 Hospital in Uasin Gishu County, accusing him of absconding work despite receiving government payments.
Duale, who was accompanied by Governor Jonathan Bii during an inspection tour, expressed frustration over the project, which began in 2015 but has faced repeated delays.
“You were paid in June, but you have not been here since January? Why are you eating our money? This project has taken too long. Our mothers and our people should have been using this facility by now,” the CS charged.
Visibly unsettled, the contractor promised that construction works would resume by September 22. Duale, however, warned that failure to meet the deadline would attract “serious consequences,” adding that he would personally return to the site to verify progress.
“On the 22nd, I am coming here and we want to see people working here,” he ordered, directing the County Commissioner to ensure the contractor keeps his word.
During his Uasin Gishu tour, Duale also inspected other hospitals, including the 2,000-bed Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH). Speaking in Eldoret, he pledged an additional Ksh100 million from the national government to support the completion of Ziwa Hospital, in addition to Ksh100 million already allocated by the county government.
“The national government has committed to releasing Ksh100 million this month. This will ensure that Ziwa Hospital is revived as part of our efforts to guarantee access to affordable healthcare for all Kenyans,” Duale stated.
He emphasized that unlike past unfulfilled pledges, his ministry would ensure accountability. The upgrade of Ziwa Hospital to a Level 5 facility is expected to cost Ksh800 million.
