President William Ruto’s nominee for Principal Secretary Medical Services Ouma Oluga has pledged to pursue bold reforms and foster a collaborative approach to address long-standing issues in the country’s health sector, including industrial unrest, entrenched cartels, and governance friction within the ministry.
Speaking before the National Assembly’s Committee on Health, the former KMPDU secretary general outlined his vision to enhance service delivery, rebuild trust with health workers, and ensure proper use of public funds.
“You’ve fought from the outside; now you’ll govern from the inside. How you navigate these realities will be closely watched,” posed the committee chair James Nyikal.
Oluga submitted before the house team on the need for a robust dialogue framework to foster lasting solutions on the persistent industrial action by health workers.
“I am prepared to use my experience to bridge the divide and prioritize the needs of the health system and its workers,”he said.
He pointed to two institutions established under the Health Act, 2017 the Kenya Health Human Resource Advisory Council (KHHRAC) and the Kenya Health Professionals Oversight Authority (KHPOA) as critical mechanisms in addressing labor grievances and regulatory challenges.
“Even when the right thing is done, it must be understood by those affected .Some of the challenges with the health workforce stem from breakdowns in engagement mechanisms. We need to strengthen these institutions and adopt a more inclusive dialogue model,”Oluga said.
He noted that previous efforts included the establishment of dialogue committees at the hospital, county, and national levels to implement Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).
However, he acknowledged that the implementation was uneven, stressing the need to revamp this engagement process. Oluga was questioned on entrenched cartels within the ministry, particularly those benefiting from infrastructure-related expenditures.
Members expressed concern that critical health services, such as procurement of tuberculosis and HIV medication, had been sidelined in favor of construction projects that enabled rent-seeking.
Oluga committed to redirecting health funds towards service delivery and essential supplies.“We must shift our focus from mijengo to medicines. The priority should be ensuring availability of drugs, especially for conditions like TB and HIV, which have suffered funding cuts with the exit of partners such as USAID and PEPFAR,” he stated.
The nominee was also tasked with addressing delays in the disbursement of funds to institutions like Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital and other Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs).
The issue reportedly stems from bureaucratic inefficiencies and funding constraints left unresolved since the winding down of the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).
Oluga acknowledged the concerns and promised that streamlining funding for health institutions would be a top priority upon assuming office.
The committee also raised concerns over tensions between the Director General of Health and the two Principal Secretaries overseeing the Ministry’s departments Public Health and Professional Standards and Medical Services.
MPs accused PSs of overstepping their mandate and undermining the DG’s authority.
Oluga promised to ensure functional clarity and a spirit of collaboration among top leadership in the ministry.
“It is essential for the DG and the PSs to work in harmony. I will champion institutional respect and define roles clearly to avoid duplication, conflicts, or paralysis in decision making,” he assured.
