Bungoma Governor, Kenneth Lusaka, has warned newly appointed Hospital Board Members, that they risk undermining healthcare delivery if they use their positions to influence tenders, interfere in hospital operations or facilitate the misuse of public resources.
Lusaka, who presided over the swearing-in of Boards for 11 County hospitals at the Masinde Muliro Kanduyi Stadium, said his Administration would not tolerate corruption in health facilities, insisting that the appointments were a responsibility rather than a privilege.
He challenged the Board Members to safeguard public resources, uphold the law and ensure residents receive quality, affordable and dignified healthcare.
Their Oath of Office, he said, was a solemn commitment to serve the public interest and ensure that County hospitals deliver on their mandate.
The Governor drew a clear distinction between governance and hospital management, cautioning Board Members against becoming parallel administrators.
He said their role was to set policy, approve plans and budgets, monitor performance and hold hospital management accountable, rather than issue direct instructions to staff or interfere in clinical decisions.
Day-to-day operations, including staff deployment, procurement and clinical matters should remain under hospital management, he said.
“Your responsibility is to govern, provide oversight and hold management accountable, not to run the hospital on a daily basis,” Lusaka said.
He warned Board Members against influencing tenders for relatives or associates, soliciting bribes or kickbacks, and facilitating ghost workers, fictitious supplies or diversion of medicines and medical equipment.
Lusaka further directed the teams to disclose conflicts of interest and warned against using their positions to advance personal or political interests.
Corruption in the health sector, he said, had particularly serious consequences because the loss of public funds could deny patients essential medicines, functioning equipment and timely treatment.
“Every shilling lost through corruption is a shilling denied to a patient who needs care,” he said.
He added that no individual would be protected from accountability, because of their position, connections or political influence.
The Governor also cautioned against nepotism, tribalism, favouritism, intimidation and the victimisation of healthcare workers who raise legitimate concerns.
He said residents expected hospitals to maintain adequate supplies of medicines, reasonable waiting times, clean and safe facilities, and fair treatment for all patients.
To improve accountability, Lusaka urged the Boards to establish measurable performance targets, regularly review financial reports and audit findings, assess patient feedback and engage communities to understand their concerns.
He acknowledged that the County’s health sector continued to face significant challenges, including resource constraints, shortages of equipment and medical supplies, infrastructure gaps and difficulties retaining qualified healthcare workers.
Addressing the challenges, he said, would require responsible leadership, effective oversight and prudent management of available resources.
The Governor reminded the Board Members that their appointments came with clear expectations that must be met, urging them to discharge their duties with integrity, sound judgment and compassion.
He said the performance of the hospitals would ultimately be measured by the difference they made in people’s lives, rather than the number of meetings held.
By Chris Mahandara
