Women stranded in Kwale after music festival says Kisumu County govt has abandoned them

About 66 women from Kisumu County who took part in the Kenya Music and Cultural Festivals at Diani Babla Secondary School in Kwale County are now stranded due to lack of funds to cater for their transport.

The women, some of whom are HIV positive complained of being discriminated against simply because of their status and by virtue of being Muslims.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Amina Akelo accused Kisumu County Director of Culture and Education Kennedy Otieno of being behind their misery.

She noted that they were part of a group which comprised 150 people but the director interfered with their transport, hence forcing them to travel using a different bus.

“We want Governor Jack Ranguma to know that we are here representing the county but we are suffering because our director is discriminating us,” she said.

SLEEPING IN MOSQUE

Ms Akelo said since they arrived in Kwale County last week on Friday, they have been sleeping in a mosque as they did not have enough money to get accommodation in a hotel.

She added that they have been surviving on one meal per day.

“I do not want to lie to you, I am HIV positive and I did not even carry enough medicine. If the situation continues this way I am afraid my health will start deteriorating,” she said.

The group leader wondered why they have been left to suffer yet they have made the county proud by winning two trophies in the Taarab and Qaswida categories.

Sadly, she said, they do not know how they will travel back home as they have not even paid for transport to Simba Coach Bus company which brought them from Kisumu.

“As mother I feel so bad. I also feel that even our county executive Jennifer Kere has betrayed us because she had promised that everything will be catered for,” she said.

DENIED CLAIMS

Contacted for a comment, Ms Kere, the Kisumu County executive for Culture and Education, said the department was supposed to supplement their going to Kwale but it did not receive the funds.

She added that because of the financial challenge, the county government told them not to go but they decided to travel on their own in order to participate in the competitions.

“It is not us who arranged for them to go and sleep in the mosque. We did not take them to Kwale and they cannot tell us that they are stranded,” she said.

Ms Kere defended the county director saying if he was the one who took them to Kwale, the only thing they would have gotten was transport and an arranged accommodation in a school.

She refuted claims that the group is being discriminated because of their religion and HIV status.

“Because they decided that they were going on their own then they are not our responsibility and I stand firm on that. They cannot drag people into their problems,” she said.