The national spotlight has turned to Busia County as the Senate takes its sittings to the grassroots under the Senate Mashinani initiative a bold attempt to bring parliamentary oversight and legislative work closer to the people. For several days, senators from across Kenya will engage directly with local leaders, residents, and public officers in a region that has long complained of underinvestment in infrastructure and basic services despite being one of the country’s busiest border hubs.
From poor roads and stalled water projects to idle trailer parks and slow-moving border facilities, Busia residents are not holding back. They are using this opportunity to voice long-standing frustrations over what they see as neglect by both county and national governments. For them, Senate Mashinani is not just another political event it’s a chance to be heard and to hold leaders accountable.
Highlights
- Senate Mashinani 2025 officially opened in Busia County, marking the fourth county sitting.
- Residents called for urgent action on road networks, border trade infrastructure, and stalled development projects.
- Senators pledged to audit major county projects and demand accountability from implementing agencies.
- Discussions also focused on water access, youth employment, and equitable allocation of national resources.
- The Busia session aims to strengthen devolution and give citizens a voice in national decision-making.
Main Story
Senate Mashinani, launched in 2020, is an initiative by the Kenyan Senate to decentralize its operations and engage with the public directly in the counties. Instead of holding sessions solely in Nairobi, the Senate periodically moves its committee meetings, plenary sessions, and public hearings to different counties.
The programme serves two key purposes:
- Oversight — allowing senators to physically inspect projects funded through county budgets, the national government, or the Equalisation Fund.
- Public participation — giving citizens a direct platform to share challenges and feedback with their elected leaders.
Previous editions of Senate Mashinani have been held in Uasin Gishu, Kitui, and Turkana. Each has revealed widespread issues around stalled projects, misuse of funds, and bureaucratic delays in devolution.
Busia, being a critical border county and trade corridor, was chosen this year to highlight the economic potential and developmental challenges of Kenya’s frontier regions.
Bordering Uganda, Busia County serves as a key entry and exit point for trade between Kenya and the rest of East Africa. Thousands of trucks pass through the Malaba and Busia border points daily, transporting goods worth billions of shillings.
Despite this strategic position, the county’s infrastructure tells a different story roads riddled with potholes, stalled projects, unmaintained markets, and unreliable water systems. Residents argue that while Busia contributes significantly to national revenue through trade, the benefits are rarely felt locally.
“Our roads are the arteries of trade, but they’re in terrible condition,” said one trader at the Busia border post during a public session. “If the government can collect billions from here, then why can’t we get decent infrastructure?”
As the Senate convened its sessions at the Busia County Assembly and various field sites, hundreds of residents turned up to voice their frustrations.
Roads and Transport:
The biggest outcry centered on the county’s dilapidated road network. Residents from Butula, Teso, and Samia sub-counties highlighted how poor roads have crippled access to markets, schools, and hospitals. “When it rains, we’re completely cut off,” one farmer lamented. “Even transporting produce becomes impossible.”
Stalled Projects:
Several major county and national projects were put under the spotlight. Chief among them was the Busia Stadium, whose construction began several years ago but remains incomplete. Similarly, water and irrigation projects such as the Changara Water Project and the Nambale Water Pan were flagged for delay and alleged mismanagement.
Idle Facilities:
Locals also expressed frustration over multimillion-shilling investments that remain idle particularly the trailer parks in Busia and Malaba that were designed to ease border congestion. “They built these facilities but never operationalized them,” said a local transporter. “Trucks still clog the roads while the parks sit empty.”
Youth Unemployment:
Busia’s young population used the opportunity to call for empowerment programs, vocational training centers, and better access to jobs linked to the trade corridor. Many argued that infrastructure development should go hand-in-hand with job creation.
Health and Sanitation:
Residents pointed to gaps in healthcare delivery, citing overburdened facilities and lack of equipment. Some health centers, they said, were completed years ago but never opened due to lack of staff or operational budgets.
Senators sitting in various committees including Roads, Infrastructure and Transport; County Public Accounts; and Devolution promised to investigate the issues raised.
The Senate’s Public Accounts Committee chair said that the team would audit the county’s use of development funds over the past five years, especially focusing on projects that have consumed public money without completion.
“Busia represents both potential and frustration,” one senator remarked. “We are here to ensure that the funds disbursed by the National Treasury are producing real results for the people, not empty promises.”
The Roads Committee pledged to summon officials from the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) to explain why certain roads, especially those connecting border towns, have remained neglected despite multiple allocations.
A key theme throughout Senate Mashinani in Busia has been the improvement of border infrastructure. The senators toured the Malaba One Stop Border Post (OSBP) to assess its operations. Although the facility was established to streamline cross-border trade by housing customs, immigration, and security offices under one roof, inefficiencies remain.
Truck queues often stretch for kilometers, traders complain about delays in clearance, and the local economy suffers from unpredictable border closures. Senators expressed concern that poor infrastructure and coordination at the border undermine Kenya’s competitiveness and frustrate regional integration efforts.
They urged the government to improve digital systems for customs, expand parking and clearance facilities, and ensure that the trailer parks are operationalized to manage traffic flow more efficiently.
The Mashinani sittings also delved into governance and accountability. Residents accused both county and national agencies of duplicating roles, leading to confusion and wastage of funds.
Senators echoed these sentiments, saying that devolution was never meant to be an excuse for poor planning. “When funds are allocated to counties, they must deliver tangible results,” said one legislator. “Devolution without accountability only multiplies corruption.”
County officials defended themselves, citing delays in disbursement of national funds and overlapping mandates with national departments. They urged senators to push for consistent and timely funding, especially for border counties whose needs are unique and complex.
At the open forum held at Busia Polytechnic grounds, residents from all seven sub-counties Teso North, Teso South, Nambale, Matayos, Butula, Samia, and Bunyala took turns addressing senators.
Farmers demanded more irrigation and better access roads to deliver produce to markets. Fishermen from Bunyala called for the revival of fish landing sites and cold storage facilities to support the Lake Victoria economy. Traders from Malaba and Busia town decried over-taxation and slow services at the border.
One resident summed up the mood: “We’ve been patient for too long. If Senate Mashinani means something, let it bring change, not more talk.”
Despite frustrations, some successes were highlighted. The county government has made strides in expanding early childhood education, investing in local markets, and improving health coverage. New feeder roads and bridges have been opened in rural areas, easing movement for farmers.
Senators praised these pockets of progress but emphasized the need for accountability, maintenance, and continuity. “Development must be sustainable,” said the Senate Majority Leader. “Counties cannot build new projects every year while abandoning old ones halfway.”
At the end of the Mashinani sessions, each Senate committee will prepare a detailed report summarizing findings, recommendations, and follow-up actions. These reports will be tabled in the Senate for debate and potential resolutions.
Some of the expected outcomes include:
- A call for a comprehensive audit of stalled projects in Busia.
- Recommendations for increased allocation of infrastructure funds to border counties.
- A push for improved coordination between national and county governments in implementing border-related infrastructure.
- Recommendations to revive and operationalize trailer parks and logistics centers.
Read Also
As the Senate Mashinani caravan continues, Busia’s residents are watching closely hopeful that this time, their cries will not disappear into reports and speeches. For a county that sits at the heart of East African trade, the demand is simple: equal investment, tangible development, and leadership that listens.
