By Manuel Odeny, @NyanzaNews

Overgrown weeds, urchins and bats have taken residence at Ore Dispensary in Wasimbete Ward, Suna West sub-county over a decade after being opened.

For the past three general elections since Kenyans voted for the devolved units for the first time in 2013, the need for the dispensary at the border of Kenya and Tanzania has been a campaign tool for long.

Residents said they had hoped that the dispensary was supposed to start operation and cut them the 16 kilometers they have to walk to seek services at Nyamaraga health center, the nearest.

“Since devolution started and after being used as a political campaign gimmick we are still staring at closed gates at our dispensary as  we walk through long distance to access health,” Phineas Olunga,  a resident said.

He said a resident donated land for the dispensary and work on building wards started and stalled.

“The family that donated the land was never paid on time, then we had contractors who come and go after we make noise have an elections cycle,” Olunga said.

He said two years since governor Ochillo Ayacko was elected in office after former governor Okoth Obado served his two terms the hospital was painted, a gate placed and toilet built.

“But the gates still remain closed, and the dispensary is going into disrepair again under our watch, we don’t know which way forward because we are suffering,” he said.

The complaints at Ore Dispensary community are similar to about 30 other dispensaries and health facilities across Migori county that are either closed or working below par.

Migori governor Ochillo Ayacko said since taking office two years ago, his administration have singled out 30 health facilties to be improved and opened and in the current financial year 18 will be operations.

“We inherited several health facilities which had hiccups on how they are managed from land issues, staffing and infrastructure we will revamp them soon,” Ayacko.

He said during his campaigns he had pledged to better the health facilities which he vowed to fulfill.

He was speaking to during Ramogi Baraza morning radio show at Ramogi FM, a vernacular radio station on July 31.

Callers across the county to the station complained of other affected heath facilities.

Ayacko said the current Migori County Public Service Board (MCPSB) leadership embroiled in court cases have stopped staffing across government which has also affected health facilities.

Awuor Nyerere, Migori Health Executive speaking to the press in his office on July 30 said as a means of transition all health facilities will be opened and their progress are already allocated in the budget.

“We have health facilities without toilets, sources of water, land ownership row or adequate staff and we will ensure all of them will be operational soon,” Nyerere said.

He said some facilities needed staff where employment has stalled because of court cases on the public service board.

“We had a manifesto and a campaign pledge for better Migori county health standards, we are on right course to deliver the promise,” Nyerere said.