Siaya Governor James Orengo is under pressure to explain the mass dismissal of health workers by the county government. Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi has openly challenged him to address allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the recruitment and sudden firing of 385 Siaya County health workers.
Atandi claims the scandal involves senior county officials who may have taken bribes from desperate job seekers. He now demands firm action, including the dismissal of culpable officers and a full investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Siaya County Health Workers Face Mass Dismissal
The scandal erupted after the Siaya County Government announced that 385 health workers had been dismissed over forged documents. The announcement came on Friday, September 12, sending shockwaves across the county.
According to County Public Service Board Chief Executive Officer Wilfred Nyagudi, the workers were fired after an audit revealed glaring inconsistencies in their employment documents. Nyagudi said some reference letters were out of sequence, while others appeared to predate official appointment letters.
“We noted several issues. Some of them were inconsistencies in the sequence of reference letters. Any letter we issue, such as deployments, must be signed by the chief of health. We had cases where someone had a deployment letter dated earlier than their appointment,” Nyagudi explained.
At a meeting with county officials, only 120 health workers were confirmed as eligible employees. The remaining workers were told not to report to duty, leaving their future uncertain. Salaries owed to the dismissed workers also remain unresolved.
The most controversial part of the dismissal is the timing. Many of the affected workers had already served for eight months before being informed they were not qualified. This has raised serious questions about why the county allowed them to continue working for so long if their documents were invalid.
Atandi Demands Accountability
Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi has taken the lead in demanding answers from Governor Orengo. He accused senior county officials of running a jobs-for-bribes scheme that exploited desperate young people in Siaya.
“We want to see the governor take action. We want to see heads roll, people fired, and the DCI invited to begin investigations into those occurrences,” Atandi said.
He further claimed that many of the dismissed workers had paid money to secure their positions, only to lose their jobs after months of service.
Atandi insisted that Governor Orengo must not remain silent on the issue. He demanded that the governor assert his authority by dismissing the county officials responsible for the alleged malpractices and immediately call in the DCI to investigate.
Orengo Under Pressure to Act
The silence from Governor Orengo has only deepened the anger of the affected health workers and local leaders. With over 380 families now facing an uncertain future, the governor’s leadership is under scrutiny.
Many residents argue that the dismissals have left critical gaps in the already strained Siaya health system. Hospitals and clinics that relied on the workers now face staff shortages, putting public health services at risk.
Workers who were dismissed continue to demand justice, saying they were victims of a corrupt system. Some are considering legal action against the county government for unfair termination and unpaid salaries.
Political observers say Orengo risks losing public trust if he fails to address the matter swiftly. His silence, they argue, may fuel speculation that senior officials close to his office benefited from the recruitment scandal.
The pressure is now on the governor to come clean, act decisively against those implicated, and restore public confidence. The call for investigations by the DCI adds another layer of urgency, as the scandal threatens to turn into a full-blown crisis for his administration.
Conclusion
The mass firing of 385 Siaya County health workers has exposed deep cracks in county governance. MP Atandi’s demands have placed Governor Orengo at the center of a growing storm, with calls for accountability, justice for the affected workers, and thorough investigations into the scandal.
Unless Orengo acts decisively, the controversy may not only damage his political image but also cripple public health services in Siaya.
