By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT 

This wa revealed by Interior and National Administration PS Raymond Omollo who appeared before the National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security during the scrutiny of the 2016/2027 budget estimates.  About 110,000 village elders will benefit from this stipend.

The Ministry of Interior and National Administration was reported to have developed a policy framework and criteria for selecting village elders. PS Omollo said this was a culmination of years of consultations and public participation among stakeholders. 

"The conversation about village elders began in 2016 and the House actually gave directions to the Ministry of Interior.  It has taken almost 10 years to get us here", said Dr Omollo.

The Interior PS thanked the committee for supporting the allocation of budget to support village elders in delivering on their mandate. The proposal stipulates that each village elder will earn Sh3,000 after 30 days  starting from the next financial year. This proposal is subject to approval from Parliament. 

"Our expectation is that we will be giving a stipend of Sh3,000 to each village elders and the amount that has been provisioned for will be almost enough to take us through the whole year", he said.

PS Omollo further stated that the said village elders will not be beneficiaries of existing State support programmes like safety net schemes for the elderly or the community health promoter initiatives.

MPs sitting in the committee,  however,  proposed that village elders should be paid more than the Sh3,000 stipend allocated. Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo is the chairman of the committee.  He said given the expected responsibilities of village elders,  they should receive higher stipend similar to what Community Health Promoters get. "We had nothing before but may be we should have them at par with the community health promoters", said Hon Tongoyo.

The lawmakers welcomed the initiative given it was the first formal government effort to recognise and facilitate village elders.  The elders have worked voluntarily for years helping chiefs and assistant chiefs in local administration and security affairs.

By JOSPHINE MWENDE 

Some patients, who have lived with the condition for decades, said they have experienced major challenges under the new healthcare system.

According to the patients, SHA services are unreliable, especially when hospital systems experience network failures during payment processing. They noted that this often forces them to pay for treatment from their own pockets, unlike the former National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), which previously offered reimbursement in some cases.“I have lived with this disease for 35 years and have followed doctors’ instructions carefully. That is why I am still doing well, but we are facing many challenges,” one patient said.

Another patient stated that SHA is not effectively supporting people suffering from chronic illnesses that require costly treatment.“SHA is not working as it is supposed to, especially for serious illnesses that require large amounts of money for treatment.

Network outages make it difficult for patients to receive help. We urge the government to address these issues and ensure every patient gets proper support,” the patient further said.

The patients also appealed to county referral hospitals to ensure a consistent supply of medication for hypertension patients.“There is a shortage of medicine in many county hospitals, forcing hypertension patients to buy drugs using their own money. Some cannot afford the treatment and end up missing the necessary medical help. We ask the county government to address this issue,” another patient lamented.

Most hypertension patients in Kitui are elderly people who struggle to meet treatment costs. Due to this, they appealed to the national government to lower the age requirement for beneficiaries of the Inua Jamii cash transfer programme from 70 years to 60 years.“Many of us attending hypertension clinics do not have payslips or the strength to earn a living. We request the national government, through the Inua Jamii initiative, to reduce the qualifying age to 60 years so that more vulnerable people can receive support for their livelihoods,” another patient said.

Speaking during the event, Kitui County Executive Committee Member for Health and Sanitation, Ruth Koki, revealed that the county has recorded a steady increase in hypertension cases.

According to county statistics, the number of hypertension patients rose from 31,000 in the 2021/2022 financial year to 36,000 in the previous year.

Koki noted that the increasing number of cases highlights the need for regular medical check-ups, early diagnosis and proper management of lifestyle-related diseases.“In 2021/2022, we had a total of 31,000 hypertension patients, and according to last year’s data, the number increased to 36,000. This means the cases are rising, but the disease can be prevented,” Koki said.

She added that hypertension can be managed effectively if diagnosed early and patients follow medical advice, maintain healthy lifestyles and attend regular check-ups.“The best thing is for people to keep checking their health status to ensure such diseases do not remain unnoticed in their bodies for a long time,” she added.

Koki further highlighted measures the county government had put in place to improve healthcare access across Kitui.“We have community health promoters across the county equipped with machines to check blood pressure and offer basic assistance. In addition, all 326 county dispensaries have blood pressure monitoring machines to help residents access screening services easily,” she said.

She urged residents to regularly monitor their health, maintain balanced diets, exercise frequently and avoid excessive alcohol consumption to reduce the risk of hypertension and other lifestyle diseases.

By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT 

Dated:14/5/2026

Mature Bulls-60,000-110,000

Medium Bulls-45,000-60,000

Young Bulls-40,000-45,000

Mature Females-45,000-65,000

Medium Females-40,000-50,000

Young Females-30,000-40,000

Mature Bucks-12,000-21,000

Medium Bucks-9,000-12,000

Young Bucks-5,000-7000

Mature Females-8,000-16,000

Medium Females-6,500-8,000

Young Females-5,000-6,000

By JOSPHINE MWENDE 

For many years, residents have struggled with congestion and limited services at Mutitu Level IV Sub-county Hospital, which has only 22 ward beds despite serving a rapidly growing population. Since the advent of devolution, the facility has remained the primary healthcare centre for the area, but inadequate ward capacity, limited medical services and patient overcrowding have posed serious challenges to healthcare delivery.

However, on 14th May 2026, the County Government of Kitui, in partnership with the National Government through the Ministry of Defence, marked a significant milestone in improving healthcare services after officially launching the construction of a modern hospital with a capacity of 94 beds.

The new facility, named after renowned Kenyan constitutional lawyer the late Nzamba Kitonga, is located within Mutitu Market in Mutitu North Sub-county, Kitui East Constituency. The hospital is expected to strengthen healthcare services in the county by focusing on the treatment of respiratory and infectious diseases while also providing specialised isolation units and improved laboratory services.

Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony, Principal Secretary for Defence Dr. Patrick Mariru, who was accompanied by Kitui Governor Dr. Julius Malombe, said the National Government under President William Ruto had committed to fully financing the construction of the hospital.

Dr. Mariru explained that the County Government of Kitui had initially pledged to contribute Sh50 million towards the project while the National Government would provide Sh150 million. However, President Ruto later directed that the National Government take over the entire Sh200 million cost of construction.“The President of Kenya, Dr William Ruto, offered to fully fund the construction of this hospital alongside other development projects being undertaken in Kitui County by the National Government,” said Dr Mariru.

He noted that the two-storey hospital would be nearly five times larger than the existing Mutitu Sub-county Hospital. The upper floor will accommodate male, female and children’s wards with a total capacity of 94 beds. The facility will also include isolation rooms and a fully equipped laboratory to improve healthcare services for residents.

Dr Mariru further stated that the project is expected to be completed within nine months and directed the contractor to ensure timely delivery of the facility.“We have a responsibility to complete this project on time so that our people can benefit from quality healthcare services. By December, the President should come to officially open a fully equipped hospital. If the contractor fails to meet the required standards and timelines, they will be held accountable because this is a project meant to serve the people of Kitui,” he said.

Governor Malombe said the idea of constructing the hospital was conceived following the death of Nzamba Kitonga in 2020. He described the facility as a landmark healthcare project that symbolises the county’s commitment to strengthening healthcare service delivery.“This project is a major healthcare infrastructure development that reflects our commitment to improving healthcare services and safeguarding the health of our people,” said Dr Malombe.

The governor added that the hospital will serve approximately 80,466 residents from all six wards of Kitui East Constituency, in addition to patients from other parts of the county.“Kitui County is the sixth-largest county in Kenya, with a population of approximately 1.378 million people. About 95 per cent of the population relies on public health facilities for medical services. This hospital will serve residents from across the constituency and will also act as a referral centre for respiratory diseases within the county,” he noted.

Quoting former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who once said,“Healthy citizens are the greatest wealth of any nation,” Dr Malombe emphasised that healthcare remains one of the key pillars of his administration in promoting productivity, economic growth and social transformation.

Both the county and national governments remain committed to ensuring that wananchi access affordable, equitable, efficient and quality healthcare services aimed at improving livelihoods across the country.

By JOSPHINE MWENDE 

The concerns were raised during a public participation forum on the 2026/2027 national budget estimates held on Tuesday at the Multipurpose Hall in Kitui Central Constituency. The session brought together members of the National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee, local leaders, and residents from different parts of the county.

Among the leaders present were Paul Nzengu, Dr. Makali Mulu, and Dr. Rachael Kaki Nyamai.

Residents used the forum to raise concerns over insecurity caused by camel herders and human-wildlife conflict, calling on the government to urgently intervene and protect communities living in affected areas. They also complained about delays in compensation for land acquired for national government projects, as well as compensation for victims of wildlife attacks that have left some residents injured or dead.

Questions were also raised over what residents termed unequal distribution of resources among counties, with some leaders arguing that certain regions continue to lag behind due to inadequate allocations from the national government.

Leaders from constituencies located far from Kitui town further criticised the centralisation of public participation forums, saying many residents from remote areas are unable to attend because of long distances and lack of transport.

Speaking during the session, Mwingi North MP Paul Nzengu questioned why public participation is conducted after the budget estimates have already been prepared by Parliament.“Why is public participation being conducted after the committee has already estimated the budget? This is wasting the public’s time,” said Nzengu.“If the government truly values public participation, wananchi should first give their priorities before the budget is prepared so that the projects proposed by citizens can be included and implemented.”

Nzengu also criticised the decision to hold such forums mainly in central areas, arguing that residents from remote constituencies are disadvantaged.“From Kitui town to Mwingi North is about 238 kilometres. People from distant areas cannot easily access these meetings without transport. Parliament should allocate funds to facilitate transport for citizens if it genuinely wants meaningful public participation,” he said.

However, Kitui Central MP Makali Mulu defended the arrangement, noting that such forums have traditionally been conducted in county headquarters and central towns for convenience.“You are being unfair when you single out Kitui Central,” said Dr Mulu. “The headquarters are located here, and this system is applied across the country. In every county, there are residents who live far from towns where these exercises are conducted.”

Dr Mulu nevertheless accused the national government of inequitable resource allocation, arguing that highly populated counties with major development needs continue to receive inadequate funding.“This 2026/2027 budget stands at KSh4.8 trillion, yet some large and highly populated counties receive as little as KSh300 million. That does not make sense,” he said.“As MPs from Kitui County, we shall push for fairness during parliamentary deliberations to ensure our people receive an equitable share because every Kenyan contributes through taxes.”

The legislator also expressed concern over Kenya’s increasing reliance on foreign borrowing, warning that excessive debt could undermine the country’s economic growth.“In this budget, Kenya plans to borrow KSh1.1 trillion, which is the highest amount the country has ever borrowed,” Dr Mulu said.“The government cannot continue depending on loans every year. We need proper strategies to generate income locally and live within our means if we want sustainable economic growth.”