MASS GRAVES HAUNT GOVERNOR

KAKAMEGA GOVERNOR IN U-TURN ON GRAVES. 

GOVERNOR Wycliffe Oparanya yesterday made a hasty retreat from his earlier announcement about Covid-19 - death related graves. 

Speaking at the County Headquarters, the county boss said 

in his plans to decongest Kakamega, he was contemplating relocating the current cemetery situated within the municipality to an alternative land in the outskirts of Kakamega town.

A Set of Mass Graves like those Kakamega Governor Had promised to sink in preparation for Covid-19 related deaths. Photo courtesy. 

After making the announcement on a local TV station last week, the Governor cautioned members of the press against misinforming the public. "For any town to be elevated to a city status, proper planning that includes provision of a cemetery for burying the dead has to be factored," the governor said.

Despite being quoted extensively by the media across the country, he said the "grave matter" was a creation of the media that Kakamega County Government has purchased land to serve as a mass grave for COVID-19 patients in the County.

He added that the current cemetery, now filled to capacity, and could not accommodate any more bodies hence the need to find another location which can serve that purpose. 

He said as counties, part of the COVID-19 preparedness requirement is to allocate a cemetery for those citizens who may not be willing or in a position to bury their loved ones in their homes.

"Our Muslim brothers and sisters for instance do not subscribe to our burial traditions of keeping dead bodies for long, adding to that such people must be considered as they are also stakeholders in this community requiring such facilities," Governor Oparanya said. 

He also called on politicians to desist from politicising sensitive matters that require serious attention adding that the cemetery issue was used out of context for political expediency. 

He said the media was an essential medium of communication between the government and the public and appealed to media houses to report issues factually. 

"Some media have even gone ahead to report that the County Government has already purchased the alleged land at a cost of Shs 5 billion which is pure lies. We have not yet spent any single cent on the plan," he said.

The governor reminded the public, however, that death is inevitable and as a leader of a government, it is important to prepare well so as to meet the needs of the residents. 

He was flanked by Kisumu County Governor H.E. Prof. Peter Anyang' Nyong'o, deputy governor H.E. Prof. Philip Museve Kutima and Finance CECM, Geoffrey Omulayi.