Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale stirred drama on Wednesday, September 10, after he was filmed confronting the contractor handling the stalled construction of Ziwa Level Five Hospital in Uasin Gishu County.
Duale, who was accompanied by Governor Jonathan Bii, arrived at the site expecting to see progress but instead found an abandoned project.
Visibly angered, the CS demanded answers on why the construction, which kicked off back in 2015, had dragged on for nearly a decade despite the government already releasing funds.
“You were paid in June, yet you’ve not been here since January. Why are you eating our money?” Duale questioned sharply, his voice carrying both frustration and disbelief.
He reminded the contractor that the hospital was meant to serve thousands of families, especially mothers in need of better healthcare, and that the delay was inexcusable.
Caught off guard, the nervous contractor promised both Duale and the governor that work would finally resume by September 22.
But Duale, not one to take empty assurances lightly, warned that he would personally return on that date to verify the claim. He stressed that if the contractor failed to deliver this time, serious consequences would follow.
“On the 22nd, I am coming back here, and I want to see people on the ground working,” Duale declared firmly.
He went on to instruct the County Commissioner to monitor the project closely and ensure that the September deadline was strictly observed.
During his wider tour of Uasin Gishu, Duale also inspected other medical facilities, including the massive 2,000-bed capacity Moit Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH).
Speaking later in Eldoret, the CS announced that the national government would inject an additional Ksh100 million into Uasin Gishu’s healthcare system this month, specifically to push the completion of Ziwa Hospital.
This comes on top of another Ksh100 million already pledged by the county government.
“The national government has committed to releasing Ksh100 million this month, in addition to the county’s contribution.
This will ensure Ziwa Hospital is revived and completed as part of our mission to deliver affordable healthcare to every Kenyan,” Duale affirmed.
He also took a jab at past government officials, noting that many leaders had visited the hospital before and made promises that were never fulfilled.
“I am not cut from the same cloth,” Duale said. “From now on, this facility must be completed. The contractor has been instructed to be on-site by September 22 and begin work—this time, there will be no excuses.”
The ambitious upgrade of Ziwa Hospital into a Level 5 facility carries a hefty price tag of Ksh800 million, but Duale insists the investment is necessary to strengthen healthcare delivery in the region and restore public trust in government projects.
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