Busia County has once again come under heavy scrutiny after the Senate exposed severe mismanagement in the county’s health and education sectors. A joint inspection by the Senate Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Education Committee revealed shocking neglect of critical facilities that have left thousands of residents without essential services.
According to the Senate PAC, the Busia County Referral Hospital lacks a functional Intensive Care Unit (ICU) despite Ksh.5 million being allocated for a feasibility study. The hospital is also grappling with a stalled dialysis machine, a missing oxygen plant valve, and the absence of a functional ambulance.
“This is the hospital where Ksh.5 million was spent on consultancy for an ICU that does not exist. The dialysis machine has stalled, they have no ambulance, and the oxygen plant isn’t working due to a missing valve. This requires urgent intervention,” said Senate PAC Chair Moses Kajwang’.
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah echoed these concerns, lamenting that “everything in Busia is in need of attention.”
The Senate Education Committee also exposed dire conditions in early childhood development (ECD) centres across Anuai, Nambale, Okisimo, and Manyole. The senators found classrooms in disrepair, lacking essential learning equipment, and with no capitation funds for months.
“We have buildings without equipment, and learners have gone three months without capitation,” said Nominated Senator Betty Montet.
Machakos Senator Agnes Kavindu questioned the county’s leadership, while Nominated Senator Margaret Kamar attributed the crisis to non-payment of contractors despite a Ksh.4.9 million budget in the 2022/23 financial year.
The Senate has now directed the Busia County Assembly Education Committee to conduct a full audit of the county’s education sector within a month and submit a detailed report.
Earlier in the week, the county was also flagged for paying Ksh.4 million for a consultancy on the status of the same hospital now at the centre of another multi-million-shilling fraud probe.
