Budalang’i Visit

Kenya experienced heavy rains in the months of April and May that led to serious floods across the country and a significant loss of life. This was exacerbated by the lack of government support across the country. One of the most affected areas was Budalang’i constituency, Busia County, which is a common flood area. Every year,, Budalang’i constituency experiences flood disasters that lead to the destruction of thousands of crop fields, leaving thousands of Kenyans homeless and many dead. The recent catastrophic disaster was caused by Lake Kanyaboli which broke its banks, thus draining water into the region and sweeping away everything and anything. This left many residents of the area stranded, leading to the local government sponsoring camps with tents for displaced people to live in. 

During the visit, the team noted with great concern: the living conditions of the residents - as most of them were living in tents - and access to basic infrastructure such as schools and hospitals. Further, there was one shared pit latrine among 100 households. After discussing with the organizers of the camp, we identified the following primary concerns: access to health care services (mosquito nets, blankets, clean food) was a concern among many of them. 

An initial question one may pose is why they haven’t been evacuated to higher grounds over the years? Or even further, now that they’ve been displaced, why don’t they move to other areas? One victim explained, “this is our ancestral home, we were born here, and we will die here”. 

The team brought and distributed various goods to the victims: clothes, sugar, and sanitary pads.