By John Oywa
The Nyanza Provincial Hospital, popularly known as ‘Russia’ is to be renamed after Kenya’s first Vice-President, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
The biggest referral medical facility in western Kenya, whose official opening in 1969 turned chaotic and left several people dead, will now be called Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Memorial Hospital, in honour of the country’s most controversial opposition party leader.
Ironically, it was a clash between Jaramogi and his then political rival, founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta that sparked a bloodbath during the facility’s opening.
The renaming ceremony of the 387-bed hospital later this month is likely to rekindle sad memories of the incident.
On Wednesday, The Standard confirmed from both the hospital and the Ministry of Medical Services that arrangements for the ceremony, slated for September 25, were in progress.
Medical Services Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o said Prime Minister Raila Odinga and senior diplomats from the Rusian Embassy, whose government funded the construction of the hospital, would preside over the ceremony.
“It will be the best honour to the late Jaramogi, who lobbied the Russian government to fund the hospital,” said Prof Nyong’o.
He said the hospital would also be renovated and equipped with modern equipment.
Last month, Nyong’o, Russian Ambassador to Kenya Valery Yegoskin and the Director of Medical Services Francis Kimani toured the hospital.
Courtesy of:http://www.eastandard.net
3 users commented in " Nyanza hospital to be named after late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackI think that would be great; but my question would be; what contributions did he make to the Hospital that would prompt a name change to His name? Why not named after folks like Tom Mboya or Robbert Ouko? Just wondering! I think, its a too much following to the Oginga family.
The contribution Odinga made is well known to everybody that it is Odinga who influenced the
russian government to build the hospital.
Therefore,it is inoder to name the hospital after him.In fact it just unfortunate that Jaramogi’s efforts to bring developments inluoland was curbed by Tom Mboya who was being cheated by kikuyus.
Without Tom Mboya’s interference ,the Russian government had offered to irrigate all the luoland using water from rivers passing through luoland.This would made luoland most agriculturally productive in the region.
Taking into consideration Odinga’s contributions in commerce,education,and fearless fight to bring independence and multiparty,Odinga deserve more than being name after a provincial hospital.He needs to be named after National Institution. deserve more than b
This has been long overdue.
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