No money in Busia's disaster kitty, diverted

Two Busia executives will tell the county assembly on Tuesday if the county is prepared to deal with coronavirus and desert locusts in an emergency.

No coronavirus has been reported, but the next generation of locusts is likely heading westward in April. 

Deputy Governor Moses Mulomi, who is acting Health chief executive, and Agriculture executive Moses Osiya are to explain their departments' preparations.

Bukhayo North Ward MCA Gaddy Jakaa on Thursday last week asked that the two how prepared Busia was in preventing any occurrence of Covid-19 and how efficient the county is in containing the virus if it is reported.

He also asked what measures Busia has put in place to deal with desert locusts should the destructive insects fly into the border county.

On Sunday Jakaa told the Star Busia has no option but to adequately prepare to manage the possible disasters.

“All foreigners landing in Nairobi and travelling to Uganda by road pass through Busia,” he said.

“Most travellers from DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and Uganda travelling to Kenya by road pass through Busia. Our geographical location puts us at risk. We want them to explain what measures they have put in place to ensure we are safe. Do the people of Busia know about coronavirus?”

The department of Disaster Management that may directly be involved in Covid-19 or locust emergencies accused the County Assembly in January of crippling its activities when the Budget Committee shot down its supplementary budget.

Part of the money that was cancelled by the county assembly was meant to finance the completion of the Disaster Management Centre at Amagoro in Teso North.

Disaster Management Chief Officer Ezekiel Okwach said with the 'imminent' invasion of locusts in the county, the department had no penny in its emergency kitty.

He said every year, Busia has to seek support from the Devolution ministry whenever disasters are reported yet the department can fully be funded to carry out its own operations independently.

“You can imagine we are the most vulnerable part of this country and we are the least prepared for these pests,” the deputy governor said.

“I just wanted to bring to your attention, Honourable MCAs, this is something that can get us all off the track in, economic development, especially food security.

But the Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee chairman Linus Asiba defended his committee. He said members of his committee denied some supplementary budgets, including disaster management department because they were requested to do so by the executive.

He said the supplementary budget for disaster management was not passed because Governor Sospeter Ojaamong requesting the Assembly to review the Sh70 million for disaster management and rechannel the money for the payment of health insurance for county employees.

Malaba and Busia border posts have always been on the Ministry of Health’s radar whenever contagious ailments such as Covid-19 and Ebola virus are reported internationally.

Coronavirus originated from Wuhan city in central China and has so far killed moe than 3,600 people across the world but its first case is yet to be reported in Kenya.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe last week Friday officially opened a 120-bed coronavirus isolation centre at Mbagathi Hospital in Nairobi.

During last week’s Thursday’s Assembly session, Nominated MCA Nancy Okademi (Wiper) requested Speaker Wamalwa to allow Health committee members to tour the county with Health officials to educate residents on coronavirus.

ODM's Lawrence Okaal (Angurai North) said residents need to be given information on coronavirus before the highly infectious respiratory disease reaches Kenya, if it does.

The destructive desert locusts which struck Kenya for the first time after decades have ravaged vegetation in more than 15 counties.

(Edited by V. Graham)