Motion tabled for approval of Amoth as Director-General for Health

The Joint Committee on Health (National Assembly Departmental Committee on Health and Senate Standing Committee on Health) moves a motion for approval of the appointment of Dr. Patrick Amoth as the new Director-General for Health.

While making a case for Dr. Amoth, the committees observed that he demonstrates the requisite knowledge and experience to perform the functions of the DG for Health having satisfactorily performed in an acting capacity for 4 years.

“He further met all statutory and constitutional requirements to perform the functions of the Office of the DG,” noted MP Robert Pukose who moved the motion

The committees, having considered the suitability and competence of the nominee, following the approval process and taking into account his observations and findings and pursuant to provisions of the Constitution, recommended that Parliament approve his nomination.

The committee observed that the issues raised in the memorandum that had been received were satisfactorily responded to by Dr. Amoth

While contributing to the motion, Dadaab MP Farah Maalim noted that Dr. Amoth was qualified for the post, even as he reiterated that the country should take the suitability of persons appointed to various public posts seriously.

“When you give somebody a position on account of meritocracy, purely the merits, this country will go far. The problem in our country is that we don’t give the right job to the right man or woman and it’s because of that that we are not performing as a country as optimally as we would wish.,” he said

His Ugenya counterpart David Ouma Ochieng praised Dr. Amoth as a professional whose contribution to the health sector so far merits appointment to the Director General for Health position.

“This gentleman has acted in his capacity with grace and humility, we’ve never heard him say that he’s being passed on the position because he is Luo. He did his job because he is a professional. During the Covid period, when Amoth spoke the country calmed down. When Amoth spoke about the numbers the country calmed because he was a voice of reason,” noted the lawmaker

Alego Usonga legislator Samuel Atandi remarked that Dr. Amoth should have been appointed to the position already given his experience in the sector.