Journalists in Turkana Central recently uncovered a shocking healthcare crisis during a routine spot-check of local health facilities. Their visit, which included dispensaries at Kakwanyang, Kapokor, Kapua, and Nasigier, took a disturbing turn at one location: the Kalotum Dispensary.
The facility, prominently marked but abandoned, is now a decaying structure. Its gate was broken, doors secured with twisted wire, and the stench of neglect filled the building, as bats and lizards roamed freely.
Surprisingly, this dispensary does not even exist in official Ministry of Health records, raising urgent questions about oversight and accountability.
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Residents of Kalotum expressed deep frustration at the lack of accessible healthcare. The nearest facility, Kapokor Dispensary, is 12 km away, forcing emergency patients to spend up to Ksh 2,000 per visit-a prohibitive cost for many families.
Community members revealed that, in emergencies, some have been forced to sell livestock just to afford basic care.
The abandoned state of Kalotum Dispensary highlights major gaps in healthcare infrastructure in Turkana. Questions remain: Who approved a dispensary that now lies unused? Why was the facility never equipped or staffed?
The Ministry of Health has confirmed that Kalotum urgently needs a functional dispensary and is ready to provide staff and equipment once the building is operational.
As the 2026/2027 county budget is debated, Kalotum’s healthcare needs remain conspicuously absent. Sources indicate that Lodwar Township’s only proposed project is the completion of KMTC hostels, leaving residents without a clear plan for urgent medical access.
