President William Ruto has created a National Disaster Operation Centre to co-ordinate responses to the ongoing El-Nino phenomenon.
This is after governors clashed with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on how to respond to the heavy rainfall that has led to the deaths of 70 people so far while displacing hundreds of thousands of Kenyans.
Gachagua kicked off a storm this week when he claimed that the government had disbursed Sh10 billion to the counties for disaster mitigation but the governors were not utilizing the money properly. He later contradicted himself saying that governors should not expect any money and that they should use the money that they have.
“We are shocked to see governors complaining that they are yet to receive money for El Nino from the national government; such money is not coming. We expect them to use emergency money within their financial provision or reallocate money within their budget to intervene for the people they govern,” he said on Wednesday, November 22.
Today, the president took charge saying that the government is aware of the situation.
“Adequate interventions have been put in place to tackle the emerging crisis,” he said.
The President explained that the government has made available resources to ensure vulnerable cases access adequate food.
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), he went on, will provide last mile deliveries by air, especially in counties marooned by floods.
“We will also mobilise the National Youth Service and the Provincial Administration to ensure Kenyans are safe,” he noted.
Meanwhile, the President asked Kenyans to take advantage of the rains and engage in farming.
He argued that subsidised fertilisers have been made available to help farmers produce enough food for next season.
“Where support is required to farmers, we will make it available,” he added.
Present were Cabinet Secretaries, Council of Governors Chairperson Anne Waiguru, Chief of Defence Forces Francis Ogolla and Inspector-General of Police Japhet Koome, among others.
