Nandi Governor Stephen Sang has urged residents to support elected leaders throughout their five-year terms, warning that public humiliation and political hostility could undermine their ability to secure development resources and deliver services.
Sang said residents dissatisfied with their leaders should use the ballot to express their views at the next election instead of subjecting them to unnecessary embarrassment while in office.
He was speaking during the dedication of the newly completed Mother and Baby Health Complex and the extension of Kapsabet County Referral Hospital, a project President William Ruto officially commissioned on Sunday.
The governor said elected leaders needed public confidence and goodwill to effectively represent their constituents and lobby for development projects from the national government and other partners.
“Once you have elected a leader, support them for the five years. If you have a different view, wait for the ballot. Let us not embarrass our leaders and reduce their authority, yet we still expect them to serve us,” he said.
Sang noted that Governors, Members of Parliament and Members of County Assemblies relied on their standing and credibility when engaging senior government officials, including the President, Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries, to secure resources for their areas.
He warned that publicly discrediting leaders could weaken their negotiating position, ultimately hurting the same residents who depended on them for development.
“The more you humiliate your leaders, the more you make it difficult for them to serve you. You may think you are hurting the leader, but you are also hurting yourselves because you reduce the authority they need to represent you,” he said.
The Governor, however, acknowledged that leadership came with challenges and urged residents to distinguish between holding elected officials accountable and subjecting them to unnecessary political humiliation.
He said he had faced personal and political challenges during his tenure but remained committed to completing development projects and laying a strong foundation for his successor.
Sang expressed hope that the next governor would not experience what he described as painful and unnecessary political machinations, urging residents to give elected leaders room to work while reserving electoral decisions for the ballot.
“Leadership, from the MCA to the Governor and the President, is not an easy job. Once you elect a leader, give them the support and encouragement they need to deliver for the people,” he said.
On development, Sang attributed the completion of the hospital project to continuity in leadership, saying his second term had enabled him to finish projects initiated earlier.
He said development was an ongoing process, and no administration could address every need within its term. Successive governments, he added, should build on the foundations laid by their predecessors to sustain progress.
The governor said he would leave office proud of his administration’s achievements and confident that ongoing projects would provide a basis for further development in Nandi County.
Sang said the county had made progress in regularising the employment of about 1,300 workers affected by previous employment processes. The employees had undergone the required procedures and been placed in appropriate job groups.
He added that the county was working to resolve the cases of approximately 400 remaining workers within the next two to three months.
Sang also announced that the recruitment of additional doctors and other healthcare workers was expected to be advertised within 14 days to support the new hospital facilities and other health institutions being developed across the county.
He praised his Deputy Governor, Dr Yulita Mitei, for maintaining a productive working relationship with his administration and contributing to various departments, including finance and health.
Sang said the new facilities at Kapsabet County Referral Hospital were expected to expand access to specialised services and reduce the need for residents to seek treatment at private hospitals outside the county.
He challenged the hospital’s management to maintain high standards of cleanliness, equipment maintenance, patient care and professionalism to ensure residents received quality services.
The governor also announced stricter visiting hours, saying visitors would be required to observe designated times to protect patients and maintain hygiene within the facility.
He said the county would ensure that meals served to patients met appropriate quality standards and that unnecessary handling of food by visitors did not compromise patient safety.
Sang thanked the County Assembly, the health department, hospital staff, church leaders and other stakeholders for supporting the project, describing its completion as an emotional milestone for his administration.
He urged residents to take care of the new facilities, saying the investment would play a significant role in transforming healthcare delivery and improving the well-being of present and future generations.
By Geoffrey Satia
