Parliament grants blank check to combat floods

In the face of devastating floods that have claimed lives and displaced thousands of people, Parliament has taken an unprecedented step, giving the government a blank check to tackle the crisis. The move comes as President William Ruto’s administration seeks Sh10.6 billion to address the relentless deluge that is wreaking havoc across the country.

The Parliamentary Budget Committee, in a session held on Monday, May 6, authorized the government to spend without restrictions, signaling a determined effort to address the dire consequences of the ongoing rains.

Budget Committee Chairman Ndindi Nyoro assured flood-affected residents that parliamentary approval would not hamper government efforts. “Let us use the money to take care of Kenyans,” Nyoro stated emphatically, indicating that quick action must be prioritized over bureaucratic red tape.

“When the question of how much has been spent comes to parliament, I want to assure all government institutions that we will approve all expenditure,” he added.

The severity of the situation is stark: the Ministry of the Interior has reported more than 238 deaths.

Additionally, 75 people are still missing, while another 174 have been injured due to the flooding. The toll on livelihoods is profound, with approximately 235,000 people displaced from 47,000 households.

Damage to infrastructure is widespread, with roads, schools and homes bearing the brunt of nature’s fury. The extent of the destruction extends to crops and livestock, with more than 4,003 animals lost and 7,533 acres of farmland ruined.

An aerial view of the Mai Mahiu flood tragedy (left) and government officials inspecting the blocked tunnel.

DPPS

In the Supplementary Budget presented in Parliament last week, the National Treasury requested an additional 6.3 billion Kenya shillings in resources, with total expenditure on flood mitigation expected to reach almost 20 billion Kenya shillings.

According to the latest supplementary budget estimates, the planned expenditure to combat the impact of the floods will increase to Sh19.9 billion for the current fiscal year, which will end on June 30.

This estimate includes the Sh13.6 billion already authorized for Treasury expenditure under the auspices of Article 223 expenditure, which allows the Treasury autonomy in the disbursement of funds without requiring parliamentary approval.

Under this provision, the National Treasury has already allocated Sh8.8 billion towards various flood mitigation initiatives. Notably, the Department of State for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands has emerged as the largest beneficiary, receiving a substantial disbursement of Sh4.3 billion. These funds are intended for humanitarian emergency response initiatives that serve people affected by both floods and droughts.

Of the additional Sh6.3 billion requested by the Treasury, the State Department for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands is expected to get another Sh4.6 billion to bolster its flood mitigation strategies. Meanwhile, a major portion of Ksh 1.1 billion is planned to be allocated to the State Cooperative Department, with the main objective of managing surplus milk production resulting from increased rainfall.

Notably, the State Department of Cooperatives had earlier received Ksh500 million for this purpose under pre-approved expenditure.

In a concerted effort to address the crisis, several ministries and departments of State have received allocations from the treasury. The Ministry of Defence, for example, has tapped into a fund of Sh500 million, while the State Highway Department has been allocated a staggering amount of Sh1 billion.

Additionally, the State Public Works Department has been allocated Sh30 million to assist in flood mitigation efforts.

Additionally, the state irrigation, livestock and crop development departments have each received allocations worth Sh70 million, Sh35 million and Sh65 million respectively, further amplifying the government’s multi-pronged approach to addressing the crisis.

President Ruto promised Sh10,000 each to more than 40,000 households whose houses were demolished because they were on Nairobi riverside land.

A bus belonging to Moi Girls High School washed away by floods.

Photo

Godfrey