Mombasa County Health Executive Member Hazel Koitaba during Thursday press briefing. (Photo/Maxwell)
Environment experts in Mombasa have criticised the County government of Mombasa for engaging in exchange of words with the National government over the garbage menace and outbreak of diseases in Mombasa.
Eco-Ethics International, an environmental lobby based at the Coast said that the exchange was unnecessary since the County has failed in managing solid waste for a very long time and could be the main cause of disease outbreaks in the county.
Eco-Ethics International Executive Officer Daniel Maina said that there was lack of proper coordination between Mombasa county government and the National government, a situation that need to be resolved.
In a Friday morning telephone interview, Maina said that locals did not want to see such verbal exchange between Mombasa and National government urging Mombasa county government to carry the blame for taking environment matters with less concerns.
“We had the dengue fever before the outbreak of Chikungunya in mid December though we are told they breed in fresh water, the garbage menace in Mombasa must be solved,” added Maina.
He said that there must be proper coordination between the National government Ministry of health and the county department of health so that such diseases are properly tamed using the right immediate measures.
While addressing journalists in Mombasa on Wednesday, Health Cabinet secretary Cleopa Mailu criticised Mombasa county government for failing to manage solid waste menace in the county a situation that according to Mailu has resulted into several disease outbreaks in the county.
But in a Thursday afternoon briefing in Mombasa, Mombasa County Executive member in charge of health Hazel Koitaba said that the county has been conducting various exercises including the ongoing fogging exercise to contain Chikungunya disease outbreak.
However, when asked to give out the exact data of Mombasa residents affected by the disease, Koitaba said that the county did not have any data since the matter was being handled by the Kenya Medical Research Institute - KEMRI doctors and health experts.