MPs have raised alarm over the dire state of development among the Basuba community in Lamu East calling for urgent rollout of essential services to rescue the long-neglected community.
A joint report of the Security, Foreign Affairs and National Cohesion, and Equal Opportunity committees described the situation as both ‘illuminating and alarming’.
“The residents of Basuba ward, predominantly from the Awer community, have endured persistent marginalisation, insecurity and lack of essential infrastructure and amenities,” Security committee chairman Gabriel Tongoyo said.
“The testimonies we collected underlines the urgent need for targeted interventions and inclusive policies that address the historical injustices faced by the indigenous populations.”
The three committees were conducting fact-finding mission to Basuba ward (Boni Forest)in Lamu county.
The mission was triggered by a plea from Lamu Woman Representative Muthoni Marubu.
During a fact-finding mission, the lawmakers said residents of Basuba have endured years of state abandonment, living without basic government presence despite being part of a region repeatedly affected by insecurity and displacement.
According to the MPs, Basuba residents currently lack chiefs and assistant chiefs, leaving the area without formal administration.
Schools remain without trained teachers, forcing children to trek long distances or stay out of class altogether.
The locality also has no functional health facilities, while road infrastructure is virtually non-existent, cutting off villages from emergency services, trade and government support.
The delegation described the situation as unacceptable and a stain on the nation’s commitment to equality, demanding that the ministries of Interior, Education, Health and Transport urgently deploy officers, build facilities and provide resources.
They recommended the immediate posting of chiefs to restore administration, recruitment of teachers to revive learning, establishment of at least one fully equipped dispensary and construction of an all-weather road network linking Basuba to the rest of Lamu.
The MPs warned that continued neglect could worsen insecurity, fuel marginalisation and deepen poverty in a region already struggling with past terror attacks and displacement.
They urged the national government to treat Basuba as an emergency priority zone and ensure residents enjoy the same rights and services as all other Kenyan citizens.
“Establish the office of a chief in Basuba ward, which currently lacks one and ensure that the office is operational within the first financial year immediately after the adoption of this report by the house,” the reports reads.
“The Teachers Service Commission should immediately identify and absorb all qualified teachers from indigenous communities in Lamu East into the teaching service and ensure equitable deployment of teachers to all schools in the subcounty within two financial years immediately after the adoption of this report by the house.”
INSTANT ANALYSIS
Awer community are a cushitic-speaking indigenous hunter-gatherer community living near the Kenya-Somalia border known for their traditional honey-hunting culture and facing modern environmental and security pressures. They are predominantly Sunni Muslim and are transitional towards farming and market activities.
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