Kakamega Senator Dr. Boni Khalwale visits the pediatric Ward 5A at the Kakamega County Referral Hospital. On Saturday, May 30, 2015, the Senator assessed the dire state of the facility following a severe malaria outbreak that had claimed the lives of 12 children in a single week. Khalwale witnessed firsthand the overcrowding in the ward, where over 100 children were admitted—more than double the ward’s 52-bed capacity—forcing many to sleep on mattresses on the floor. He expressed shock at the acute shortage of anti-malarial drugs and blood, as well as the severe understaffing, noting that only a handful of nurses were available to manage the crisis. A medical doctor himself, Khalwale criticized the county government for a slow response and questioned the utilization of the Ksh 507 million conditional grant meant for hospital equipment. He called on Governor Wycliffe Oparanya to immediately release emergency funds for medical supplies and to deploy more health workers to rural facilities to decongest the referral hospital and save lives. May 30, 2015.