Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale leads locals to destroy crops at hospital, Governor Oparanya protests

Kakamega County Senator Dr. Boni Khalwale (in red T-shirt) leads residents to Shibwe Sub- County Hospital in Ikolomani on May 3, 2015. Resident destroyed crops claiming that hospital management had leased land to private developers. [Photo/Benjamin Sakwa/Standard]

There was drama at Shibwe Sub County Hospital in Ikolomani when Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale led residents to storm and destroy crops at the facility.

Dr Khalwale alleges the hospital management has leased the hospital land for private use.

He said individuals have taken public land to grow various crops for their own personal use instead of benefiting the community.

But Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has condemned and termed the action by the senator as "thuggery."

"He has no jurisdiction over such matters as the hospital's administration is in better placed to handle such matters," Mr Oparanya said.

Dr Khalwale claims the hospital management has leased the land to individuals making it hard for its expansion.

"When I was the area MP, the State allocated Sh62.5 million for construction of this hospital. The community gave us land with a lot of hopes that this health facility will expand to benefit them but it is only profiting few individuals," Dr Khalwale said.

police order

He said the land was to be used for construction staff houses, maternity and surgical wards, a theatre and a storeyed-building for medical students instead leasing it to individuals to plant crops.

"I will not allow corrupt people to misuse our property, I have a list of few individuals who want to use public property to benefit themselves and I am going to obtain police order to stop them from accessing this land," he said.

"I will be around the whole day to ensure we destroy every crop planted on this land. I have ordered for 10 crates of soda so that we can celebrate together as we graze our livestock."

He issued a seven-day amnesty to all individuals who had invaded the land to apologise to the community.

But the governor promised to hold discussions with the hospital's administration to ascertain where the problem is.

"Dr Khalwale is being petty destroying crops by poor people. There is no way the Government land can be leased in the manner he wants us to believe. Those workers are poorly paid and part of what is harvested from those crops is used to prepare food for maternity mothers among others," Oparanya explained.

Some of the beneficiaries who are community health workers based at the hospital dismissed Khalwale's allegations saying the crops belong to health workers' welfare.

David Lanya, one of the health workers, revealed that they did not lease or buy the land as alleged by the senator and crops belong to the hospital's welfare group which include the hospital staff and casual workers.

He also denied claims of intending to grab the hospital land hindering the expansion of the only hospital in the area.

Lanya expressed his concerns on how their crops were destroyed saying the bullfighter could have listened to their pleas.

"We requested the hospital management to allow us plant short periodical crops using our Uwezo Fund for demonstration instead of relying on table banking only," said Lanya.

Kaitano Luyundi, a casual worker, said they have been using the crops for their welfare because the Government fails to pay them on time.

"The money from these small ventures has been used to keep us going as we wait for the salary. We have benefited a lot from these crops," he said.