Bungoma Senator David Wakoli inspecting the Kanduyi fire station on Saturday…Photo/IP
By IP Reporter
BUNGOMA, Kenya
Sen. David Wakoli toured the Bungoma County Fire and Emergency Department on Saturday and what he found was less “hotline ready” and more “rusty relic exhibit.”
The main fire engine has been grounded since May last year and a backup Land Rover fire engine has collected dust in a garage for more than a year, even after repairs were paid for with public funds under a mysterious “special programme.”
The department has just seven officers to serve the entire county, including the dangerously busy Kenya–Uganda Highway through Kanduyi.
Wakoli warned that Bungoma’s bid to become a city may be hollow without functioning emergency services. “Lives and property are at risk. Bungoma deserves better,” he said, urging Gov. Kenneth Lusaka to act immediately.
The urgency is underscored by tragic road carnage.
Yesterday at Sikata, two heavy trucks collided and exploded, sparking a fireball that killed several people and overwhelmed local capacity — forcing responders to wait more than eight hours for fire engines from Busia.
Eyewitnesses described the blast and its aftermath as catastrophic.
Other deadly crashes in the region have left multiple casualties, highlighting that without a fully operational fire department able to reach major highway accidents quickly, the county’s emergency “response” risks becoming little more than an expensive photo op.



