Commission on Revenue Allocation ( CRA) chairman Micah Cheserem has dismissed calls to revert the management of the health sector to the National government, saying it will negate the Constitution and its gains.
He told politicians campaigning for the same to stop and instead support County governments to improve lives of residents. Addressing the press in Kisii town while assessing the impact of devolution in the area yesterday, he said health staff were not prepared psychologically when they were devolved to counties leading to endless strikes over high remuneration.
He said before the sector was devolved the workers, especially doctors were running private clinics but now it is not possible because they are expected to work at public hospitals longer.
Cheserem, who was accompanied by vice chair Fatuma Abdikadir, Governor James Ongwae and Deputy Joash Maangi said it was unrealistic for the medics to demand a salary rise of 300 per cent at once, saying the government cannot afford it.
He urged the striking medics to return to work to ease the suffering of patients as negotiations on their remuneration continues. The former Central Bank Governors criticised some county governments over bloated staff which force them to spend more than 35 per cent of the recommended recurrent expenditure, thus affecting development.
“County governments should retrench extra staff and maintain the wage bill at 35 per cent to spare enough funds for development for devolution to have an impact at the grassroots,” he said.
Ongwae said County governments inherited staff from the defunct local authorities, National government and employed its own, but have maintained the wage bill at between 35 and 37 per cent.
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