Economy

House stops mobile clinics funding over graft claims

clinics

A man passes in front of some container clinics in Miritini, Mombasa. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Parliament has stopped funding for portable clinics meant for urban slums amid a controversy over procurement of the units.

This follows recommendations by the National Assembly’s Health committee, which called for re-allocation of the funds to other uses.

The programme, which had been allocated Sh0.5 billion in the next financial year starting July, will now remain with Sh50 million only.

“The Health committee reported that funds allocated for portable clinics in 2017/2018 be re-allocated for other strategic and core mandate of the ministry noting that the clinics that were formally brought in are yet to be delivered,” said the Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC) chair, Mutava Musyimi.

Two years down the line and some 100 clinics are still lying idle in Mombasa.

An internal audit report revealed that money meant for the free maternity programme was instead channeled to procure the units. An investigation on the irregular spending of Sh5 billion at Afya House is still ongoing.

However, Mr Musyimi said that BAC members were worried about the Health committee’s stand on reducing the allocation for the slum clinics programme, which targets urban poor areas

The programme, which has been marred with corruption claims, was launched in 2015 with the aim of providing 120 portable clinics by June 30, 2016.