11 years ago when he was still an MP, Kakamega Deputy Governor, Ayubu Savula, promised residents that the Sipande Dispensary in Mautuma Ward, Lugari Sub-county, Kakamega would open its doors to provide much needed healthcare services to them. Fast forward to the present, and the former MP now holds the keys to the office of the Deputy Governor in the county but the doors of the dispensary in Sipande remain firmly shut.
According to Francis Nyongesa, who was the chairman of the local committee overseeing the construction of the dispensary at the time, the project was approved by the Public Health and Public Road departments of the county.
Angry residents said that the facility has been lying in disuse for 11 years now, and no efforts have been made to operationalize it to provide health services to the public.
Speaking to SEMA UKWELI on condition of anonymity, a resident said that they are forced to buy drugs from private Chemists, or seek medical care from as far away as Lumakanda, Turbo, Mlimani, Mbagara, and even Eldoret.
“The former MP, and now Deputy Governor of Kakamega, Ayubu Savula promised to work on the issue, but even after becoming Deputy Governor, we have only seen him coming here for meetings, but nothing is done”, he added.
On his part, Mr. Nyongesa said they had made several trips to the former Governor, Hon. Wycliffe Oparanya, and current Governor, FCPA Fernandez Barasa, but nothing has come of it. He complained that all they do is raise the issue in public forums but nothing is done afterwards.
“We need services here but the door we knock has been closed for us. We have gone to the Chief Officer of Health and he says he will follow up but nothing has been done yet.”
“County Government of Kakamega and Ministry of Health should move to immediately open our dispensary because it was approved by them. In fact, it is way overdue. We blame the County Government for sleeping on the job after a lot of money has been pumped into the construction and the building is just rotting there”, he concluded.
The project was estimated to have cost around Ksh 2 million.
The residents now want the area MCA, Charles Anyona, and Kakamega County Governor, FCPA Fernandez Barasa, to work together and ensure that the facility opens its doors to the public to alleviate their suffering.
