Lodwar – March 2, 2026 (Public Communication and Media Relations)

H.E. Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai Napotikan yesterday convened a high-level County Health Management Team meeting at the Department of Health and Sanitation Services, where he directed the prioritization of key issues aimed at strengthening service delivery, accountability, and improving healthcare outcomes across the county.

The Governor directed the department to urgently clear pending payments for Community Health Promoters (CHPs) and the review of CHP registry.

“Let us get it right. We have 2,690 CHPs who earn KES 2,500. Let’s prioritize the dues owed to them. I am also ordering a review of the CHPs registry and hereby stopping the hiring of additional CHPs until the unresolved issues have been sorted,” said Governor Napotikan.

He noted that the review will determine the actual number of CHPs, identify absentees, and guide redistribution in line with the national policy of one CHP per 100 households, as highlighted by the Community Health Services Directorate.

Reaffirming his commitment to accountability and performance, the Governor added that “Statistics never lie. The factual reports show that this government has and is still working for the people. Forget the noise and focus on service delivery. I appreciate your work,”

He further assured the team that staffing will be undertaken based on budget availability and that pending claims, DSAs, and utilities will be paid soon.

“The government works on the availability of resources. We may not do everything, but we will work to do more,” he said.

The Governor also issued a stern warning against misconduct.

“I am calling to order any individuals within the county with ill intentions, mishandling funds, abusing patients, or those not ready to work. They are affecting progress, and they will be named soon.”

The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health and Sanitation Services, Dr. Esekon Joseph Epem, pleaded with the Governor to exclude the department from the supplementary budget, noting that budget cuts directly affect service delivery and can cost lives.

“If we do not act on time, we lose lives. To us, fuel is more than a necessity; delayed response can cost lives,” he said.

The CECM also requested the Public Service, through the Governor, to consider promoting long-serving staff and those in acting capacities to boost morale and performance.

On health products and technologies, Dr. Gilchrist Lokoel, Chief Officer for Medical Services, assured the team that all health facilities currently have enough essential medical supplies to last until April. He added that a new consignment is expected this week and will sustain facilities for another six months.

“We only supply essential medical supplies, guided by the needs at the health facilities. The next scheduled consignment arrives a month before depletion. Each of these commodities can also be tracked and traced, further reducing potential mishandling or theft,” he said.

On ongoing and completed projects, Dr. Lokoel reported that 59 previously non-operational health facilities have now been fully operationalised following the recruitment of additional healthcare workers, bringing the total number of health facilities across the county to 307.

“We now have 59 health facilities that were previously non-operational since more healthcare workers were employed. This includes 100 nurses, 35 clinical officers, eight pre-operative nurses, six medical consultants, four medical officers, three radiographers, eight mortuary attendants, three community oral hygiene officers among others,” he stated.

The Chief Officer for Preventive and Promotive Health Services, Agnes Mana, appreciated the Governor for prioritizing the department and meeting with the team. She noted that her directorate handles emergencies and life-saving timelines and highlighted existing staffing gaps.

“We are more than ready to take the department to another level. We just need continued support in ensuring the team meets their targets,” she stated.

On matters concerning Lodwar County Referral Hospital (LCRH), Elizabeth Auru, Assistant Director, Administration and Finance at LCRH, speaking on behalf of the hospital leadership, outlined the staffing capacity and recent gains.

“We have 149 nurses, 16 medical officers, 14 specialists, 49 clinical officers, and 57 support staff, among others. LCRH also benefited from the recent hires toward ensuring improved quality of health services,” she said.

Other matters discussed in detail during the meeting included the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), staffing, promotions, mental health challenges, DSAs for staff, pending bills, procurement processes, nutrition services amid the ongoing drought response, among others.

In attendance were all directors, deputy directors, assistant directors, and program officers from various directorates within the department.

The Governor directed the department to urgently clear pending payments for Community Health Promoters (CHPs).

“Let us get it right. We have 2,690 CHPs who earn KES 2,500. Let’s prioritize the dues owed to them. I am also ordering a review of the CHPs registry and hereby stopping the hiring of additional CHPs until the unresolved issues have been sorted,” said Governor Napotikan.

He noted that the review will determine the actual number of CHPs, identify absentees, and guide redistribution in line with the national policy of one CHP per 100 households, as highlighted by the Community Health Services Directorate.

Reaffirming his commitment to accountability and performance, the Governor added that “Statistics never lie. The factual reports show that this government has and is still working for the people. Forget the noise and focus on service delivery. I appreciate your work,”

He further assured the team that staffing will be undertaken based on budget availability and that pending claims, DSAs, and utilities will be paid soon.

“The government works on the availability of resources. We may not do everything, but we will work to do more,” he said.

The Governor also issued a stern warning against misconduct.

“I am calling to order any individuals within the county with ill intentions, mishandling funds, abusing patients, or those not ready to work. They are affecting progress, and they will be named soon.”

The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health and Sanitation Services, Dr. Esekon Joseph Epem, pleaded with the Governor to exclude the department from the supplementary budget, noting that budget cuts directly affect service delivery and can cost lives.

“If we do not act on time, we lose lives. To us, fuel is more than a necessity; delayed response can cost lives,” he said.

The CECM also requested the Public Service, through the Governor, to consider promoting long-serving staff and those in acting capacities to boost morale and performance.

On health products and technologies, Dr. Gilchrist Lokoel, Chief Officer for Medical Services, assured the team that all health facilities currently have enough essential medical supplies to last until April. He added that a new consignment is expected this week and will sustain facilities for another six months.

“We only supply essential medical supplies, guided by the needs at the health facilities. The next scheduled consignment arrives a month before depletion. Each of these commodities can also be tracked and traced, further reducing potential mishandling or theft,” he said.

On ongoing and completed projects, Dr. Lokoel reported that 59 previously non-operational health facilities have now been fully operationalised following the recruitment of additional healthcare workers, bringing the total number of health facilities across the county to 307.

“We now have 59 health facilities that were previously non-operational since more healthcare workers were employed. This includes 100 nurses, 39 clinical officers, eight pre-operative nurses, six medical consultants, four medical officers, mortuary attendants, among others,” he stated.

The Chief Officer for Preventive and Promotive Health Services, Agnes Mana, appreciated the Governor for prioritizing the department and meeting with the team. She noted that her directorate handles emergencies and life-saving timelines and highlighted existing staffing gaps.

“We are more than ready to take the department to another level. We just need continued support in ensuring the team meets their targets,” she stated.

On matters concerning Lodwar County Referral Hospital (LCRH), Elizabeth Auru, Assistant Director, Administration and Finance at LCRH, speaking on behalf of the hospital leadership, outlined the staffing capacity and recent gains.

“We have 149 nurses, 16 medical officers, 14 specialists, 49 clinical officers, and 57 support staff, among others. LCRH also benefited from the recent hires toward ensuring improved quality of health services,” she said.

Other matters discussed in detail during the meeting included the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), staffing, promotions, mental health challenges, DSAs for staff, pending bills, procurement processes, nutrition services amid the ongoing drought response, among others.

In attendance were all directors, deputy directors, assistant directors, and program officers from various directorates within the department.