One of Kenya’s best known government administrators, Mohamed Yusuf Haji, died recently aged 88, still actively engaged in public service as both senator and chairman of a constitution revision team.
Born in Garissa in 1940, Haji was a beneficiary of the pre-independence colonial initiative to identify young talents to fill the shoes of departing British colonial administrators. He joined the administrative service as a District Officer in 1960.
In that year, Britain called the first Lancaster House Conference to determine Kenya’s future. It decreed that ‘natives’ would rule. Officials then intensified recruitment of potential African administrators and bureaucrats.
Simeon Nyachae, another long serving administrator wrote in his autobiography that new recruits were trained to take over Kenya’s administration at independence.
Supporters of different opposition presidential candidates demonstrate in Mogadishu on February 19, 2021. [AFP]
Somalia is, once again, in political turmoil. The Horn of Africa nation’s opposition leaders say they no longer recognise the authority of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, popularly known by his nickname “Farmaajo”, after his term expired on February 8 without a political agreement on a path towards elections to replace him.
Somalia’s most recent political impasse, and the way it eventually resolves, will have significant consequences not only for the country but also its neighbours, Kenya and Ethiopia.
Kenya and Ethiopia have been heavily involved in Somalia’s politics since the country’s independence in 1960. For decades, they pursued a united policy towards Somalia to counter pan-Somalia irredentism.
For equity in health, Treasury must fund referral hospitals
Wednesday February 10 2021
By EDWARD OMETE
The national government’s involvement in healthcare in the devolved context, is mostly policy making and training.
Apart from this, the Ministry of Health also administers special programmes such as HIV, Malaria, Tuberculosis, Immunisation, family planning and some diseases of interest.
Indirectly, through her parastatal hospitals, the other role is running some few critical institutions.
Some months ago at the height of the stalemate on revenue allocation formula, a National Assembly had a session. Suba MP Millie Odhiambo from the gist of her argument, sought to propose a shift aimed at ensuring equitable health resources distribution: particularly targeting referral hospitals.