Africa-Press – Kenya. Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi has addressed the complaints by Community Health Volunteers who say they have not received their Sh2,500 monthly stipends for more than 30 months.
Mwangangi said the non-paid stipends were accrued in the former county administration’s regime. He, however, said they were doing everything possible to ensure that the volunteers were paid as soon as possible.
“We recognise and appreciate the roles these community health volunteers play in our health sector,” he said.
“We are committed to ensuring that their welfare is well looked into as the executive. They will be paid as soon as possible.” The deputy governor spoke on December 12 during the Jamhuri Day celebrations at Matuu Primary School grounds in Yatta, Machakos.
Improving the volunteers’ welfare was among Governor Wavinya Ndeti’s agenda in her campaign manifesto ahead of the August 9 polls. Several leaders on Monday sympathised with them calling for the settlement of their pending stipends before December 25.
Matuu MCA Judas Ndawa said it was inhumane for the volunteers to work for several months without being paid their monthly stipends. “These are Machakos county residents who need to be paid for their services, they have families and personal needs too,” Ndawa said.
The leaders spoke during the Jamhuri Day celebrations. Stanslose Mulinge, a CHV in Slota estate in Athi River, Mavoko subcounty said they hadn’t received their Sh2,500 monthly stipend from the county government for more than 30 months.
Mulinge said this had made them vulnerable since they were struggling to meet their daily needs including those of their families. He said their roles in the community had exposed them to more problems, of struggling to assist vulnerable residents especially the sick, elderly, those living with health conditions and new mothers.
He urged the county government to motivate them by timely paying their monthly stipends. “We take reports to our health facilities every month. We need to be motivated to continue helping people,” he said.
Diana Wambua, a CHV in Njuguini estate said she started doing the job in 2019. She said they are always aware of what’s happening in their clusters; sick people, pregnant women, those who have delivered and vulnerable residents.
“We refer them to hospitals. Once a woman delivers in hospital, we are always in their homes within 24 hours,” Wambua said. Wambua said they check on ailing residences’ progress after they are attended to in hospitals.
“We also attend to sick people like those living with high blood pressure, HIV AIDS and cancer. We teach them how to live and eat healthily. Some fall sick but refuse to go to the hospital, we have to convince them to seek medication,” she said.
“We help link them with basic support like food from well-wishers. We wish as CHVs we could help, but we don’t have much either.”
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