By Okong’o Oduya
Busia County, Kenya: People living in more than 70 camps in Budalangi are facing humanitarian hardships that has put their lives in danger. With lack of enough clean water, sanitization facilities and other challenges such as congestion are some of the challenges they are currently facing.
Bonface Omenda chairperson, Mundere camp in Budalangi noted that the camp faces a number of challenges that make life unbearable to more than 2,344 families.
According to him lack of proper medical services within the camp and congestion the risk of outbreak of water borne disease and malaria is high. He adds that although the county government is supplying them with clean water and food stuff it is still not enough to accommodate their rising demand.
Omenda admitted that the county government through health department has released mobile clinic to visit the camp once a week but that will not be enough to address medical challenges they face.
“There are a lot of challenges we are facing, we don’t have enough water in this camp. The kind of toilets we us require water, flash toilets without water is a disaster in waiting.”
“Budalangi is prone to malaria, without mosquito nets it won’t be long before you here of malaria outbreak here. The medical facilities are far from here and even the mobile clinic that comes here once a week will not address these problems if not handled on time.We are however calling upon the government to try and address some of these problems on time to avoid situations that we will all live to regret.” He noted.
The camp has pregnant mothers, young children and elders who require proper medical services, without the services and congestion within the facilities the crisis is looming. He said.
Lack of an alternative land to relocate those affected by floods has been cited as a stumbling block in finding a long lasting solution to flood victims in Budalangi.
Nambale Member of Parliament John Bunyasi wanted both National and County governments to allocate the resources and acquire and obtain land to relocate those affected by floods in Budalangi.
“It is important for government to start thinking on how to look for an alternative land to relocate those living in flood prone areas in this county.”
It is not fair for these people to be forced out of their homes every year because of floods they will need to rebuild afresh once the level of floods reduces,” he noted.
According to him the closure of schools because of corona virus provided homes to those displaced but things could have been worse if learning was going on.
He wanted government to work on lower delta of Nzoa, Yala and Sio rivers by constructing dams upstream on these rivers to regulate the flow of water downstream.
He challenged the government for being reluctant in addressing the problem saying that the government has powers to compel those living in areas they proposed to construct dams to vacate and be compensated to pave way to for the dam.
“We need a focused program that will look at how to fix issues in Budalangi. Financing is available, World Bank has put in a big amount of money but the government does not yet have the will to implement that problem.”
“These projects will come with opportunities not just to us downstream, but also those that will pave way for the construction of the dam, they can use them in irrigation and as fishing ground as long as the floods are controlled upstream,” he said.
On Lake Victoria backflow Bunyasi said government need to engage hydro engineering experts to find a way on how to prevent water from flowing back to the land from the lake saying that many countries in the word have managed to control water from flowing back to mainland from the sea which is also possible with Lake Victoria.
Addressing the press during his visit to those affected by floods in Budalangi, Bunyasi called upon the government to provide essential services such as medical services and clean water to those in camps to prevent outbreak of diseases such as malaria and cholera.
As the level of flood in Budalangi continues to reduce more than 40,000 people rendered homeless will have to find a way on how to reconstruct their lives back after their homes and properties were destroyed by floods.
Government through the Ministry of Devolution has promised to not only help them in camps but support them where possible when they will be required to go back to their homes.
