How Elgeyo Marakwet used Covid-19 cash to set up first oxygen plant
Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Governor Wisley Rotich (in black suit) during the operationalization of the county's first oxygen plant at the Iten County Referral Hospital in January 2023.
By Stephen Rutto
An Oxygen processing plant established by Elgeyo Marakwet County using Covid-19 emergency response grants is now operational.
Elgeyo Marakwet County received more than Sh90 million Covid-19 response cash between 2020 and 2021, and spent Sh16 million on an oxygen plant, the first one since the onset of devolution.
It was established to produce oxygen needed during Covid-19 treatment but was operationalized in February 2023, two years after it was established in November 2021.
It was set up at a time when massive losses of Covid-19 funds were reported.
County executive committee member for health Michael Kibiwott indicated that the county was generating its own oxygen after the operationalization of the plant, established thanks to the Covid-19 funds.
The health CECM said the oxygen plant supplies oxygen to all sub-county health facilities.
“We no longer rely on neighbouring counties for oxygen. Through support by partners, we have now advanced the oxygen systems through more cylinders and connecting each bed with oxygen, and we no longer struggle to get oxygen to a bed during an emergency,” Kibiwott explained.
He said support with partners helped the county secure more oxygen storage cylinders to store medical oxygen from its plant.
However, a report into the use of Covid-19 funds indicate millions of money was spent on non-covid-19 items.
For instance, a special parliamentary report showed that more than Sh6.5 million of Elgeyo Marakwet’s Covid-19 response money was spent on items that were not related to the Covid-19 response.
Among them were 40-inch Television sets, tents, umbrellas, plastic seats, banners, shirts, branding, and a laundry machine and other non-covid-19 emergency related items, the parliamentary report indicated.
The Sh57 million Elgeyo Marakwet received as a conditional grant from the national government was part of Sh5 billion emergency funds to fight Covid-19.
Kibiwott, the county’s health executive, says he has yet to receive reports on Covid-19 spending in the county.
“I have no sufficient information on the allegations of misappropriation of funds. The previous administration was in charge of managing the Covid-19 funds. We are a transparent department, and we ask authorities to probe claims of misuse during the Covid-19 period,” said Kibiwott.
He said his department was open to probe, adding that Covid-19 procurement was undertaken by the previous administration.
A former top official in the Department of Health said he would not respond to administrative issues in the regime he served in and directed us to the current administration.
The TV sets which reportedly delivered to Tambach Isolation centre were not available during a visit by The Standard.
Officers at the facility said their bosses at the Department of Health were in a better position to explain.
A 2021-2022 Auditor General’s preliminary report indicates that some Covid-19 equipment purchased by the county during the period were lying idle.
“Examination of the documents provided for audit revealed that the County Executive paid an amount of Sh8,800,000 and Sh1,395,620 for the supply and delivery of hospital theatre equipment for the Kaptarakwa Sub-county hospital and laundry machine to Tambach Sub-county hospital respectively.
“However, physical verification carried out in the month of November 2022 revealed that the theatre equipment had been lying idle for six months, while the laundry machine had been lying idle for 13 months and had not been installed,” the Auditor General said in the preliminary report.
According to the Auditor General’s qualified opinion, the value for money on the expenditure of Sh10,195,620 on specialized health equipment and machinery during the Covid-19 pandemic period could not be confirmed.
The Controller of Budget report presented to Parliament in late 2020 revealed how Elgeyo Marakwet procured banners and shirts worth Sh652,000, catering services at Sh232,000, 40-inch TV sets at Sh240,000, a laundry machine (Sh1.4 million), stationeries and branding materials (Sh161,000) among other questionable expenses.
Locals who sought services in the county’s hospitals during the period said accessing protective materials such as masks was difficult.
Kibet Kangogo recalls how he was forced to buy face masks for his ailing grandmother in November 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I thought the government had equipped hospitals with basic protective gear, especially for vulnerable groups during the period, but I was shocked to discover that they were being sold within the hospital,” said Kibet.
A patient, Lawrence Kimutai, said he suffered Covid-19 during the pandemic but received no support at the public facility and ended up paying money for Personal Protective Equipment, on top of his treatment cost.
Post Author
