TAITA TAVETA – Nominated Member of County Assembly (MCA) Peter Shambi has raised a strong alarm over the devastating impact of cancer in Taita Taveta County, pointing to a sharp rise in fatalities linked directly to inadequate medical infrastructure, leadership neglect, and rampant corruption.
Speaking on the severe health challenges facing local residents, MCA Shambi lamented that countless families continue to lose loved ones to the disease due to a persistent lack of specialized medical services and essential drugs.
Addressing the spiritual dimension of the crisis, the legislator urged religious leaders across the county to convene special prayers to drive away what he described as a spiritual affliction troubling the community, noting that a lack of sustained prayer might be contributing to the heavy burden of disease and loss facing residents.
Expressing his grief, Shambi noted that he has attended numerous funerals of people whose lives were lost to cancer. He called on both political and spiritual leaders to unite in seeking relief for the community’s immense pain.
Turning to the county’s healthcare infrastructure, MCA Shambi highlighted the plight of patients who are forced to travel long distances for oncology services because Taita Taveta lacks an operational, fully equipped cancer center. He revealed that the dedicated cancer unit currently under construction at the Moi County Referral Hospital in Voi remains incomplete due to a clear lack of prioritization by key administrative officials.
The ward representative emphasized that while the County Assembly has consistently allocated adequate funds in the budget to complete these vital healthcare projects, executive corruption and mismanagement in administrative offices continue to sabotage progress.
Consequently, vulnerable citizens are left to suffer without necessary treatment, prompting residents to join the call on both county and national government authorities to urgently complete and equip the Moi Referral Hospital facility.
