Residents of Bumamu in Butsotso west location of Navakholo sub-county are demanding for the arrest of members of project management committee PMC selected to oversight the construction of Bumamu health centre that has since collapsed due to misappropriation of funds meant for its construction.
Cleophas Nyangweso one of the residents says the stalled project has brought more suffering than benefits to residents who are now seeking medical services from far distanced health centres which is costly. And since majority are from poor families they opt to be attended to in their homes by quacks who put their lives at risk.
“We are spending a lot of money taking the sick to Makunga or Shiongo health centres which are miles away. In case of an emergency, I can assure you this person will die before he gets to hospital. All we want is the completion of the facility. Surprisingly the elected leaders from this area have absolutely shown no interest in the problem affecting this project which is vital to the residents.”
Gentrix Akhonya, a mother and resident has described how expectant mothers are going through uncouth experiences delivering their babies in the village with the help of unprofessional midwives. She explains that it is due to poor road network in the area to get them to the hospital as they highly depend on boda boda riders to ferry them, a situation that puts the mothers and their infants at a risk of losing their lives.
“Right now am from Shiongo dispensary for my baby’s medical check-up, having walked for over 4kms with my baby on my back, this is so tiresome because I can’t afford to pay a boda boda to take me there. I’ve seen my expectant friends who’ve delivered at home and this time when health is devolved, it’s uncalled for. We demand better health care because we are the taxpayers. Why are we suffering as if we don’t have elected leaders to fight for our rights.”
Modern Democratic party MDP party leader Hamisi Omuganda and KANU Kakamega County chairperson Chacha Weche who condemned the committee from inception of the project are now calling for directorate of criminal investigation DCI to investigate the matter and immediately bring to book people who misappropriated the development funds meant for the health centre.
“The DCIO office in Navakholo has failed us. We can’t keep on complaining for all these years about this project when we clearly know the suspects. We know people who used that money to build their houses. We are demanding for the arrest and charge them for stealing public funds. We also want our people to benefit from the fruits of devolution.”