The national government has been urged to urgently address Lake Victoria backflow that has rendered many families homeless in Bunyala subcounty.
Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong on Tuesday asked the state to provide dredging machines to desilt the lake, especially the mouth of River Nzoia.
He spoke when he distributed assorted items to 260 families at Musoma and Sidokho in Bunyala South ward. They are flood victims.
"The backflow from the lake is the main cause of flooding in this area. The area had for several years remained calm following the construction of dykes," he said.
Ojaamong also directed the water department to ensure a steady supply of clean water to the affected areas.
"As a stop-gap measure, my government will provide water bowsers and mobile toilets to schools and villages to avoid a cholera outbreak," he said.
Ojaamong appealed to the Busia county assembly disaster management committee to visit the area and see how residents were suffering. He said this will ensure that whenever budgets are presented to them, they should consider the emergency kitty.
He said his government was in talks with the national government, donors and other partners to find a lasting solution.
"These issues are not easy. They have caught us unawares and with a poor budget. I am going to convene a cabinet meeting with the assembly for a solution," Ojaamong added.
Deputy Governor Moses Mulomi, also the acting health executive, said the department was putting measures in place to curb disease outbreaks.
"It is our duty to ensure that our people are healthy. We are going to have our health officers on the ground ready to undertake preventive measures," Mulomi said.
He said the backflow from Lake Victoria was a technical issue that needed a lot of intervention.
Edited by A. Ndung'u