Kenyans deplore shame of Siaya County’s 10-bed COVID-19 isolation capacity

Siaya County Governor Cornel Rasanga. COURTESY: Daily Nation

Siaya was a trending topic on Twitter for several hours after President Uhuru Kenyatta pointed out that the county has a 10-bed capacity isolation facility against a population of nearly one million people to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kenyans on Twitter (KOT) strongly criticised and shamed the county’s leadership and prominent leaders who hail from the region over the failure to put in place adequate health facilities.

President Kenyatta, who spoke on Saturday during his eighth national address on the pandemic, said that the county’s health facilities were already overwhelmed despite the virus not yet reaching its peak in the country.

The President gave Siaya and Busia Counties as examples as to why experts, in part, advised him against lifting the existing restrictions imposed to halt the spread of the virus.

“Siaya County has, only, a 10-bed isolation facility and, already, they have admitted nine COVID patients from only one incident. Similarly, Busia County has a 34-bed isolation facility and two days ago, that facility was full,” the President said.

So, if there is a surge in infections in just these two counties the health care system will most definitely be overwhelmed.”

With Kenya’s health facilities overwhelmed by the burden of the virus, the President questioned whether Kenyans were ready to care for the sick at home and expose their loved ones to the deadly virus.

These are some of the responses KOT fired back at Siaya’s leading figures.

The president is right in citing Siaya as a county with just 8 isolation units with all nearly occupied. Siaya was ranked among the worst in population risk and facility readiness.

— Kwame Owino (@IEAKwame) June 6, 2020

You should hear Siaya people brag.
"We have the highest number of professors per square kilometre in the country.''
Well, you have 10 isolation beds for 1 million people ?.

— FERDINAND OMONDI (@FerdyOmondi) June 6, 2020

Siaya county with a population of close to 1 Million people, has only 10 beds (9 already occupied)
Meanwhile, my brother James Orengo has been in parliament since 1980 (40 years).
God bless Kenya!

— Hon. Richard Onyonka (@Hon_Onyonka) June 6, 2020

This presser aside, we need to meet as #Siaya County residents….. We are setting up a green tent behind the tall tree…. Please…. 10 beds? ?#Covid_19

— Lindah Oguttu (@lindahoguttu) June 6, 2020