The Kenyan government has offered help to tens of families that were affected by the fuel tanker explosion that occurred at Malanga trading centre, on the Kisumu-Busia highway, on Saturday night.
According to Gem MP Elisha Ochieng’ Odhiambo, the government has committed at least Ksh50,00 to each family affected by the tragedy.
“We are in the discussion with the national government and with the sub-county deputy commissioner. The government is going to give every affected family at least Ksh50,000 each in the meantime,” he said.
The MP was speaking in Siaya on Monday where he had gone to assess the situation. He was in the company of Siaya Senator James Orengo.
According to the MP, several of those admitted to the hospital are in critical condition but he at the same time exuded confidence and hope that they will overcome the tragedy.
He expressed gratitude to medical workers who are working around the clock to ensure a majority of them, if not all, are healed.
“I want to congratulate the nurses and doctors in the hospital for what they are doing to ensure that those in the hospital can survive the tragedy. I trust in God that we will get the majority of them out of this difficult moment,” he stated.
Senator Orengo on his part said efforts are underway to see how the affected families can be helped going forward.
“We as Siaya leadership, not all of us are here, we are going sit down with our colleagues to make sure that all that needs to be done is done as quickly as possible,” he stated.
At the same time, two more people were reported dead because of the tragedy, raising the total number of fatalities to 15.
The explosion occurred when a section of residents was siphoning fuel at the scene where the fuel tanker overturned after trying to overtake a lorry ferrying milk.