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Proposed referral hospital location divides South Rift leaders
Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok at a press conference at the county headquarters in 2021. The governor and other lawmakers from the county have criticised their Kericho counterparts for not involving them in choosing the location of a proposed new referral hospital.
What you need to know:
- Differences between leaders and residents over the location of a referral hospital to be constructed by the national government in the South Rift region have deepened, jeopardising the project.
- Leaders from Kericho, Bomet and Narok counties, which are set to benefit from the project, have for the last two months been engaged in a back-and-forth.
- Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot and Kipkelion East MP Joseph Cherorot are some of the leaders spearheading the push to have the hospital constructed in Londiani.
Differences between leaders and residents over the location of a referral hospital to be constructed by the national government in the South Rift region have deepened, jeopardising the project.
Leaders from Kericho, Bomet and Narok counties, which are set to benefit from the project, have for the last two months been engaged in a back-and-forth.
Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok and Senator Hillary Sigei, led MPs Francis Sigei (Sotik), Richard Yegon (Bomet East), Richard Kilel (Bomet Central), Victor Koech (Chepalungu), Brighton Yegon (Konoin), Woman Rep Linet Chepkorir and Speaker Cosmas Korir in accusing some of their counterparts in Kericho County of hijacking the process.
“We met President William Ruto at State House Nairobi and Eldoret State Lodge in December last year where we pitched for the construction of a referral hospital to cater for patients from Bomet, Kericho and Narok. The President directed us to go and agree on the location of the facility,” Prof Barchok said.
“But we are surprised that even before we sit down as leaders to discuss and take a common position, a section of our colleagues from Kericho have hijacked the process and gone ahead to name Londiani as the location of the facility without any reference to those of us from the neighbouring counties,” he added.
Public participation
The governor said a public participation process should be conducted in the three counties to arrive at a consensus and avoid a falling out.
Mr Sigei said Londiani was far out of way for the region’s residents and was closer to Nakuru and Uasin Gishu counties, both of which have referral hospitals.
“The facility should be at a central point that is accessible to patients from all corners of the three main counties to benefit from it,” Mr Sigei said.
Mr Koech, Mr Kilel, Mr Korir and Ms Chepkorir said the facility should be constructed in Kapkatet, Bureti Constituency in Kericho County.
“We would not as a region want this very sensitive matter to divide us and it is important that we consult before making rush decisions and excluding other leaders and residents,” Mr Sigei said.
“Local politics should not override the bigger picture of having the hospital in a centralised and accessible point to patients. If we have it in Londiani, then it defeats the very reason of seeking to lessen the pain for patients and their families who have to travel to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret,” Mr Kilel said.
Mr Yegon (Konoin MP) rooted for annexing of 100 acres of land leased to multinational tea companies in the two counties to set up the referral hospital.
“It is possible to carve out part of the land occupied by multinational tea companies in Kericho and Bomet counties to pave the way for construction of the referral hospital and bring the tussle to an end. We must be sober and reasonable as we discuss this matter," Mr Yegon said.
Mr Kipngeno Chepkwony, a member of the Narok County Assembly and Transmara Kenya National Union of Teachers secretary David Korir said at best the hospital should be in Kapkatet and at worst in Kericho town.
“The least we will accept as a region is for Kericho Teachers Training College to be moved to Londiani and the land occupied by the college to be used to construct a referral hospital. Kericho town has all the amenities required and is a central point,” Mr Chepkwony said.
Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot and Kipkelion East MP Joseph Cherorot are some of the leaders spearheading the push to have the hospital constructed in Londiani where the Kericho County government has undeveloped land.
“We want the people of Bomet and neighbouring counties to leave this matter of where the hospital should be situated to the leaders of Kericho County to decide,” Mr Cheruiyot said.