Vihiga families plead for govt help amid bedbug invasion
By Enock Amukhale, November 4, 2025Vihiga residents are facing a serious health risk after the invasion of blood-sucking bedbugs in their houses.
The affected families have decried that bedbugs are giving them sleepless nights. They are appealing to the Vihiga county government through the department of public health to intervene by fumigating their houses.
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“Bedbugs are causing havoc in our houses. Their invasions are giving us sleepless nights,” lamented Jane Awinja from Ebukolo village, Emuhaya sub-county.
The affected residents say the bedbugs are resistant to some pesticides they are trying to apply to kill the blood-sucking parasites.
“Our bodies are running out of blood because of the bedbugs. We are staring at the health risk of suffering from anaemia. Governor Wilberforce Ottichilo should do something to rescue us from bedbugs,” cried the affected residents.
They added: “We have tried to maintain proper hygiene by cleaning our beds and mosquito nets, but the bedbugs are still attacking us.”
Blame it on the government
Vihiga residents have blamed the national government and county government for focusing too much on the fight against malaria, forgetting to fight bedbugs.
Efforts by Emuhaya human rights defender Ruth Bukachi to fight bedbugs in Vihiga are being overwhelmed by the number of households affected.
Bukachi has been fighting the eradication of bedbugs by fumigating houses in five sub-counties in Vihiga County.
“I have taken the initiative of fighting bedbugs in Vihiga County by fumigating the affected households. The affected families by bedbug infestation are many, and the initiative requires financial stability,” Bukachi said.
Bukachi, through his compassionate Foundation, says she is committed to ensuring she reaches as many households as possible. Bukachi has also dismissed the beliefs of residents that the bedbugs are being spread by free mosquito nets distributed by the government.
She says the bedbugs only hide in the nets hung on the beds so that they can prey easily on their host. “You will spot bedbugs hiding in the bed, mosquito nets and at the corners of the bed. So this means the nets given out to prevent the spread of malaria harbour bedbugs,” Bukachi concluded.