BUSIA RESIDENTS PRESENT THEIR VIEWS TO GOVERNOR DR OTUOMA
Busia County residents presented their views through their respective Sub County coordinators to Governor Dr Paul Nyongesa Otuoma during an engagement forum at the Busia Agricultural Training Centre that was also witnessed by Development Partners.
The Governor was presented the memoranda by coordinators from the seven sub counties of Teso North, Teso South, Nambale, Butula, Matayos, Samia and Bunyala outlining inherent challenges facing them and solutions thereof.
The plenary session that was moderated by Deputy Governor, Arthur Odera saw residents outline challenges facing their areas of jurisdiction that had impacted negatively on service delivery.
Among cross cutting issues raised in the memoranda included infrastructure improvement, water scarcity, upgrading of health facilities and equipping them, upgrading of roads to bitumen standards and making Yala Swamp vibrant as tourist attraction centre.
Matayos coordinator, Ken Madara in his presentation said there is urgent need to undertake dualization of Kisumu-Busia Northern Corridor from Mundika to One Stop Border Post and a bypass from Mundika through Mayenje, to help decongest Busia Town.
Mr Madara said there is also urgent need to upgrade Matayos Health Centre and Burumba Dispensary and equip them with drugs and other requisite infrastructure, adding that markets in the area are also in deplorable state and needs renovation and street lighting.
He also decried the infiltration of Ugandan fish hawkers into homes with cheap fish which has affected fish sales at the trans shipment market, urging the County Government to take appropriate action of either barring them or impose tax that would make prices of their fish unaffordable to sell in Kenya.
Mr Madara wants the 843 acres Nasewa land in the sub county transformed into an Export Processing Zone or a fish feed factory to spur economic growth and create job opportunities among unemployed youth.
Bunyala coordinator, Charles Wanjala said Port Victoria Sub County Hospital and Mukhobola need to be elevated and equipped with X-Ray services, adding that Port Victoria, Sisenye and Osieko/Nambo water schemes are dysfunctional and needs urgent attention to ease water scarcity challenges.
The completion of trailer parks in Malaba and Busia were other partinent issues raised by residents, noting that their completion would decongest the two border towns which are the hub of East and Central Africa.
In their memorandum, chairman, United Boda Boda Association, Isaac Obwolo said they are ready to pay taxes that will be agreed upon by the County Government to boost it revenue collection.
Post Author
