Counties receive Sh5 billion for corona fight as cases surge

County governments have received Sh5 billion from the national government, funds that will go towards bolstering their Covid-19 preparedness. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

By ANNIE NJANJA
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Summary

• County governments have received Sh5 billion from the national government, funds that will go towards bolstering their Covid-19 preparedness.
• The Ministry of Health (MoH) Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the conditional grant will be released to all 47 counties.
• This comes as the national government prepares for the eventual spread of the virus across the country as the country continues to ease the laid down restrictions.

County governments have received Sh5 billion from the national government, funds that will go towards bolstering their Covid-19 preparedness.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the conditional grant will be released to all 47 counties.

This comes as the national government prepares for the eventual spread of the virus across the country as the country continues to ease the laid down restrictions.

He was speaking during the Covid-19 briefing where he announced 124 new Covid-19 cases bringing the total to 2,340.

Elgeyo Marakwet is the latest county to be affected bringing the total number of counties affected to 36. The virus has already reached rural and remote counties such as Nyeri, Turkana and Uasin Gishu.

“Each county must now prioritise its needs in accordance with the funds provided. It is now up to the counties to utilise these funds to safeguard the lives of our people, by ensuring that our local health facilities are well equipped, and our healthcare workers are adequately catered for,” said Mr Kagwe.

The CS also acknowledged that community transmission in the country has become widespread while noting that the country was still not out of the woods. He also pointed an accusing finger at law enforcers saying that they were allowing reason why truck drivers continued their journeys up to the borders with no Covid-19 certificate.

Truck drivers travelling without a valid certificate are being blamed for the traffic snarl-up currently being experienced at the Malaba border in Busia.

Busia County is also becoming an epicentre owing to the increasing cases from truck drivers at the Malaba border. Yesterday, 26 cases were reported in Busia.

Nairobi and Mombasa remained the Covid-19 hotspots in the country accounting for over three quarter of the cases accounting for the 38and 40 cases, respectively. Kajiado county had six cases, Kiambu three, Garissa and Taita Taveta each had two cases, and single cases were also found in Murang’a and Elgeyo Marakwet counties.