Give families displaced by floods at least Sh100,000

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has called on the government to increase financial support to families displaced by the floods to Sh100,000.

Last week, Ruto announced that each household affected by the floods will receive 10,000 shillings towards alternative accommodation.

On Wednesday, Kalonzo said the opposition wants the government to immediately deploy all necessary responses to mitigate the impact of the floods.

Kalonzo said the government should help bereaved families and internally displaced people.

“We note that President William Ruto recently announced in Mathare that flood-affected households will each receive Sh10,000, although Sh1 billion has already been set aside. Once again, this is a case of too little, too late. For families who have lost everything, these allocations are too small to start over,” he said.

“We demand that the government increase financial support to at least Sh100,000 per family and immediately launch an emergency relief appeal for all flood victims in Kenya.”

Kalonzo said the Red Cross projects that the flood situation could need at least Sh7 billion.

He said the government is forcibly evicting people from areas that are considered riparian and flood-prone lands.

Kalonzo said the government should evacuate people in a way that respects human rights without causing more deaths.

“In light of the current tragedy, we demand that this regime adopt protective measures of early warning and facilitation of relocation of communities at imminent risk of being affected by floods and adhere to effective disaster management strategies,” Kalonzo said.

According to Azimio, the government should provide emergency relief services, including food, shelter and medical care, to meet the basic needs of all displaced, evicted and affected people.

Azimio also wants the government to provide assistance for the reconstruction of homes and infrastructure destroyed by the floods, with an emphasis on sustainable development and disaster-resistant construction.

“Develop and strengthen infrastructure and systems that improve the country’s resilience to natural disasters and facilitate effective response mechanisms,” he said.

Kalonzo also added that the state should accelerate policies and legislative frameworks that focus on comprehensive disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation measures and ensure active community participation in these processes.

Azimio expressed sadness over the increasing number of flood victims.

Kalonzo said that as a coalition, they continue to mobilize resources to help mitigate some of the adverse effects on livelihoods.