Members of Uyoma community in Rarieda subcounty have registered their appreciation to President William Ruto over the recent appointment of Dr. Ouma Oluga as a permanent secretary in the State Department of medical services.
Led by their secretary Mr Dickson Okawo, the community has expressed deep gratitude to the president for appointing their son to the plum and important position in the government.
Okawo observed that Dr Fredrick Ouma Oluga’s appointment as a Permanent Secretary had come after 50 years of waiting since the first president of Kenya mzee Jommo Kenyatta appointed two of their sons to similar positions.
“Since independence Dr Oluga becomes the third person from the community to be appointed as a PS. Fifty years ago mzee Kenyatta appointed Meshack Ndisi and Justus Oluoch Adel Permanent Secretaries but we have had to patiently wait for a third one to come,” said Okawo.
He expressed confidence that Dr Oluga working under Adan Duale will not only help the Ministry of Health realize its goals but will also help the government to achieve comprehensive universal health coverage.
Okawo said that the appointment of Dr Oluga comes at a time when president Ruto has introduced transformative policy shift in healthcare to ensure every citizen is covered, adding that as a community, they have fully embraced the new directives by the government to registered in the SHA.
“We affirm our support to the policy transformation and we pledge to mobilize our community through door-to-door initiative that will ensure every household is registered under SHA,” he added.
Okawo extended a warm invitation to president Ruto and former Premier Raila Odinga to grace the homecoming celebrations for Dr. Oluga in Uyoma that will be held soon.
The Uyoma community chairperson, Omolo Kowii asked Dr. Oluga to work closely with County Government of Siaya to improve the status of Madiany district hospital, Manyuanda, Masala, Naya health centers which were struggling to provide health services.
“Madiany district hospital is only level 4 by name. No doctors and no medicine. Our health centers and dispensaries are equally struggling and need upgrading to provide better service,” Kowii Said.
Kowii asked Dr Oluga to push for the permanent hiring of community health workers by the county governments because they are the primary health care workers who offer crucial health services and therefore deserve better remuneration.
“We hope that our community health workers will finally be hired on permanent basis because this is what Dr Oluga was fighting for when he was the secretary general of KMPDU,” Kowii said.
Luo council of elders’ deputy chair Yongi Ayaga, who spoke to the press, thanked president William Ruto for appointment members of the Luo community in his government and particularly in Key positions.
He on the other hand asked all those appointed to work hand in hand with each other to ensure each of them succeeds in whatever assignment they are given by the president.
“Dr Oluga cannot succeed alone. He has to be assisted by others to succeed so let all our leaders work together to achieve success for the benefit of the country and the community,” Ayaga said.
By Brian Ondeng
