News reports
Order a long-term news report on Busia County
Every mention in the Kenyan press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
The Standard
… The group, which draws a significant portion of its membership from the Luo community, holds immense political sway in Busia County. …
How Busia politics, enmity between Governor Otuoma and 'Jobless' Gang claimed life of LauraThe Standard
Audio By VocalizeBusia Governor Paul Otuoma has defended ongoing security operations against the outlawed "Jobless" gang in Busia County while calling for an independent investigation into the death of a civilian during the latest crackdown. …
Governor Otuoma defends crackdown on criminal gangThe Standard
Audio By VocalizeIn a move to restore road safety among boda boda operators, Busia County Government has agreed to provide comprehensive road safety and rider training to 2,000 boda boda operators. …
Busia signs an MoU for safety training of 2,000 boda boda operatorsCitizen Digital
… Busia County sits squarely in that high-burden corridor. In western Kenya, approximately 4.5% of children are born with sickle cell disease, and 18% with the sickle cell trait. …
A father’s walk against sickle cell diseaseCitizen Digital
… Ouma Oluga saying ongoing Taifa Care reforms are strengthening access to quality healthcare across the country.Speaking on Friday during the national commemoration of World Sickle Cell Day 2026 at Bunyala TVET College in Budalangi, Busia County, Dr. …
Gov't steps up fight against Sickle Cell disease through Taifa Care reformsCapital News
… Meanwhile, police officers in Busia County intercepted a vehicle at the Butula Mission area and recovered two tightly packed sacks of cannabis sativa. …
Police Seize Sh12.1 million bhang consignment in multi-county crackdownThe Standard
Audio By VocalizeBusia Governor Paul Otuoma before the Senate County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee at Parliament, March 23, 2025. [Boniface Okendo, Standard] The Busia County Cabinet has approved the Busia County Youth Development Policy, paving the way for enhan …
Busia Cabinet approves youth development policy to boost jobs, inclusionCitizen Digital
… The Busia County Women Representative opined that if only parents were able to balance work and family, their children would be in day schools. …
Boarding schools should be eliminated - ODM acting SG OmanyoCapital News
… The programme is expected to expand to counties including Migori County, Busia County and other parts of the Lake Region.
Lake Region Farmers to Benefit From New Sunflower Farming InitiativeThe Standard
… Speaking during the flagging-off of trucks carrying the seeds to various distribution centres, Busia County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Smart Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Blue Economy and Agribusiness, Dr. …
24 tonnes of cotton seed distributed in BusiaBodaboda operators in Busia County report declining business following a rise in fuel prices, which has increased operating costs and squeezed profit margins. Customers have resisted fare increases and opted to walk or use alternative transport instead, leaving many riders spending hours without securing customers.
22 October 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Bodaboda operators in Busia County report declining business following a rise in fuel prices, which has increased operating costs and squeezed profit margins. Customers have resisted fare increases and opted to walk or use alternative transport instead, leaving many riders spending hours without securing customers.
22 October 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Healthcare workers in Busia County have been trained in emergency obstetric and newborn care through a partnership between Clinton Health Access Initiative and the county, bringing the total trained to 189 across four cohorts to help reduce maternal and newborn deaths.
20 October 2026 · The Standard →
Teachers' unions in Western Kenya have raised concerns over the safety of examination officials and the government's preparedness as KCSE examinations begin, citing fears that heavy rains could cause flooding that interferes with exam administration, particularly in flood-prone areas like Budalang'i in Busia County and Malava in Kakamega County where landslides have occurred.
19 October 2026 · The Standard →
Clergy in Busia County have warned thieves targeting churches to repent as break-ins and thefts of church property continue to rise, with Bishop Isaiah Obuya condemning criminals who steal public address systems, chairs, benches, and vehicles. Governor Paul Otuoma has backed calls for firm action against the culprits.
14 October 2026 · The Standard →
ODM Secretary General Catherine Omanyo said the party will remain strong and vibrant following the death of former leader Raila Odinga, noting that he left behind a solid structure and organizational framework ensuring the party operates effectively.
13 October 2026 · Citizen Digital →
ODM national chairperson Gladys Wanga has dismissed claims that the party is weakening following Raila Odinga's death, saying ODM will retain all its elective seats in Busia County. Wanga also defended ODM's participation in President William Ruto's broad-based government, arguing it will ensure development reaches all parts of the country.
12 October 2026 · The Standard →
ODM leaders including Governor Gladys Wanga, CS Wycliffe Oparanya and Suna East MP Junet Mohamed said the party remains Kenya's strongest and will field candidates in all elective positions except the presidency, which they support President William Ruto for.
11 October 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The National Land Commission has raised alarm over a high rate of public land grabbing and encroachment in Busia County, citing complaints about illegal occupation of sewage sites, riparian areas, schools and other institutional land. The NLC vowed to investigate complaints and take action against those illegally occupying public land.
9 October 2026 · The Standard →
As Kenya ramps up Ebola surveillance at airports and major land border posts following the country's first confirmed case, gaps remain at informal water crossings like the Mulwanda crossing in Busia County, where residents cross freely between Kenya and Uganda with no visible health screening or port officers present.
8 October 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale urged airlines, tourists and businesses to maintain normal operations, saying Kenya remains safe for travel, tourism and investment following confirmation of the country's first imported Ebola case, a Kenyan citizen who died after arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo via Uganda.
8 October 2026 · The Standard →
Police in Busia County arrested a 39-year-old PSV driver, Stephen Otieno Jumbo, after intercepting his vehicle on the Busia–Kisumu Road and recovering 20 kilograms of cannabis sativa. Investigations indicated the driver was trafficking in collaboration with the vehicle's conductor, Patrick Omondi, who fled during the arrest.
7 October 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the 48-hour interval between detection of Kenya's first suspected Ebola case and confirmation resulted from subjecting the patient's blood sample to multiple laboratory tests at the National Virology Laboratory, Kemri, and the US CDC for verification.
7 October 2026 · The Standard →
Kenya's Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has confirmed the country's first imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease and urged the public not to panic, assuring that systems are in place to contain potential spread. The Ministry has advised hand hygiene, avoiding contact with sick people from affected countries, and seeking treatment at recognised health facilities.
6 October 2026 · Citizen Digital →
An opinion piece argues that if the Opposition nominates Kalonzo Musyoka for president in 2027, despite his polling lead and backing from opposition figures like Martha Karua and Eugene Wamalwa, it risks handing President Ruto his clearest path to a second term, citing Kalonzo's limited national electoral reach and history of unsuccessful vice-presidential campaigns.
6 October 2026 · The Standard →
Kenya's 2024 Energy Transition and Investment Plan aims for Net Zero by 2050 and a renewable-powered grid, but requires a financing architecture that attracts private investment and reaches communities. The country should use instruments like the National Infrastructure Fund and public-private partnerships to mobilise private capital for clean energy and emerging opportunities such as green hydrogen.
6 October 2026 · The Standard →
President William Ruto has directed an enhanced national response to Ebola following the death of a patient with an imported case of Ebola Virus Disease. The Government has intensified surveillance, contact tracing, and testing, with eight family members and 21 healthcare workers quarantined, and 27 passengers identified for monitoring.
6 October 2026 · The Standard →
Churches in Western Kenya are increasingly being broken into, with valuable equipment stolen and guards attacked. A church guard was murdered inside a church compound in Makunga, Kakamega County, marking an escalation in crimes targeting places of worship that have traditionally been regarded as safe spaces.
2 October 2026 · The Standard →
A suspect attacked police officers with a panga during an arrest attempt in Butula, Busia County, severely wounding Police Constable Voustine Atinya with cuts to his head before being subdued.
28 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Clinical officers in Busia County have agreed to resume duty after the county government signed a return-to-work agreement with the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers, ending a more than two-month strike that disrupted public health services. The agreement addressed key grievances including implementation of a Collective Bargaining Agreement, payment issues, and re-absorption of UHC staff.
27 September 2026 · The Standard →
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka accused President Ruto's administration of planning to influence the 2027 election by mobilising voters across the Uganda border, citing Kenya Kwanza leaders who crossed into Uganda for a political meeting and alleging the government plans to grant IDs to Ugandans to vote for Ruto.
26 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Busia County is stepping up efforts to address teenage pregnancies by improving access to contraception and reproductive health information. According to 2026 Kenya Health Information System data, Busia's adolescent pregnancy rate stands at 16.9 per cent, above the national rate of 15.5 per cent, while contraceptive uptake in the county is 47 per cent compared to the national rate of 60 per cent.
26 September 2026 · The Standard →
A Sh10 million solar-powered fish drying and preservation facility has been launched in Burumba, Busia, to help the Busia Cross-Border Women Traders Association process and preserve fish more efficiently, reduce losses, and create employment in fish processing and marketing.
16 September 2026 · The Standard →
Police in Nambale, Busia County, are searching for a woman whose husband, a casual labourer named Swaleh, was found dead outside their rental house with several injuries on Tuesday morning. Neighbours reported a confrontation at the house on Monday night, and residents say the woman had previously threatened to kill her husband.
15 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi suspended Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah for three consecutive sittings after he refused to withdraw and apologise for describing President William Ruto's roadside pronouncements as "yapping," which the Speaker deemed unparliamentary.
10 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah was suspended from the Senate for three sitting days after refusing to withdraw the word "yapping" used to describe President William Ruto's roadside declaration on undocumented immigrants. Omtatah maintains the term was not unparliamentary and that withdrawing it would compromise his constitutional duty to hold those in power to account.
10 September 2026 · The Standard →
Busia County has reduced child stunting from 26 per cent to below 15 per cent in four years through improved nutrition and school feeding programmes, but teenage pregnancy rates have only declined from 19 per cent to 16 per cent, leaving Deputy Governor Arthur Odera concerned about ongoing threats to girls' education and health.
8 September 2026 · The Standard →
More than 1,000 households in Busia County have gained electricity access through a partnership between the county government and the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation, implemented under a Matching Fund Programme where both levels of government jointly invest in infrastructure on a shilling-for-shilling basis.
8 September 2026 · The Standard →
Private healthcare facilities in Kenya are turning to solar energy due to frequent power outages and blackouts, particularly in remote areas. WHO data indicates approximately 15 percent of health-care facilities in Kenya and other sub-Saharan African countries lack electricity access, and Kenya Power reported an average of 113 hours of power interruptions per year, disrupting essential services like vaccine storage.
7 September 2026 · The Standard →
Acting ODM Secretary General Catherine Omanyo has challenged Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku to quit the party if he is unhappy, arguing at a Busia rally that the Maasai community has benefited from President William Ruto's Broad Based Government through senior state appointments.
6 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
More than 1,000 households in Busia County have been connected to electricity through a partnership between the county government and the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) under a Matching Fund Programme, where county governments and REREC contribute funds on a shilling-for-shilling basis. Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi said Busia County contributed KSh154 million between the 2023/2024 and 2025/2026 financial years and urged other counties to adopt the model to accelerate rural electrification.
6 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →