• Other services which use electricity have also been suspended over safety concerns
• Kenya Power intends to reroute the poles and wires on stable ground
Health services at Chuowe Dispensary in Wang’ Chieng, Karachuonyo constituency, have been disrupted because of uncontrolled sand harvesting.
Five electricity poles and wires lie on the ground due to unstable soil and Kenya Power has disconnected electricity supply.
More than 4,500 residents depend on Chuowe Dispensary for health services.
Other services which use electricity have also been suspended over safety concerns.
Kenya Power disconnected electricity supply to Wang’ Chieng’ after the main electric poles in the area were damaged.
The company needs at least Sh2 million to reconnect power in the area and erect poles on stable ground.
Initially, the health facility operated for 24 hours when power supply was constant.
But since August, it has been operating for less than eight hours in a day.
The nurse in charge of the dispensary, Lilian Okumu, said power disruption has hurt immunisation, maternity services, among others.
Reckless sand harvesting is to blame for this untold suffering to expectant women.
“When a resident falls sick at night, they are taken to other health facilities. We no longer operate at night because of darkness,” Okumu told journalists on Monday.
Night deliveries are done using kerosene lamps, candles and torches.
And the newborns are not immunised.
The dispensary depends on Kobala health centre which is several kilometres away to store drugs.
“Vaccines which are supposed to be refrigerated are not stored here any more. We send someone to pick the vaccines at Kobala when children are immunised,” Okumu said.
Scolastica Akoth, a counsellor at the health facility, said lack of electricity hurts services.
“We have difficulties with parents who become impatient since they leave the facility before their children are immunised,” Akoth said.
Kenya Power officer in charge of the constituency Job Nyanje said the company plans to put up a new power line, with the lines this time passing through homes, where sand is not being harvested.
“We will have a meeting with the community and agree to erect poles on stable land to avoid risks,” Nyanje said.
Homa Bay Nema director John Maniafu told residents to look for alternative sources of income.
“Excessive sand harvesting has damaged a number of roads in Kobala and Chuowe beaches. Residents need to engage in economic activities which do not destroy the environment,” Maniafu said.