Migori County under fire for allocating Sh4.1 million for purchasing coffins

Migori Governor Okoth Obado’s administration has come under fire for setting aside Sh4.1 million for coffins in its budget for the 2020/21 financial year.

Residents claim that the allocation is suspicious and will cause panic as the country grapples with soaring cases of Covid-19.

The allocation has already been approved by the county assembly even as questions are being raised over the decision.

Some residents said the allocation was ill-founded as families have been taking care of their relatives’ funerals without any financial support from the county government.

“The question we are all asking is how many coffins they are planning to buy with that amount and how many deaths they have projected,” an MCA who sought anonymity said.

Migori County Residents Association chair David Ogindi said locals have been questioning how the allocation will be spent.

“During public participation exercise, the issue of plans to allocate money for purchasing coffins never came up but we are surprised to learn that it was included,” he said.

Yesterday, county officials defended the allocation and claimed that it is meant to support any staff that may lose their lives during the financial year. They claimed the allocation is not related to Covid-19.

The report by the Budget and Appropriation Committee that was unanimously endorsed, however, failed to address the controversies surrounding the allocation.

Yesterday, the committee chairperson Thomas Akungo defended the allocations, saying it would cushion families that cannot afford coffins.  “The money is not just meant for purchasing coffins but also to support those affected,” he said.