Since the month of November, floods have killed more 50 people and more than 80,000 have been displaced affecting mostly the coastal and North Eastern regions, with the figures expected to rise, according to the Kenya Red Cross Society.
Several places in the coastal city of Mombasa have been submerged by flood water, with roads destroyed or rendered impassable. The situation is the same in Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera towns in the north-eastern region that borders Somalia.
Apart from Kenya, neighbouring countries like Somalia, Ethiopia and Tanzania are also experiencing heavy El Niño rains, resulting in floods.
Oxfam East Africa, a humanitarian organisation, says El Niño heavy rains and flash flooding have killed 130 people in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia.
The Kenya Meteorological Department warns that more heavy rains are expected across the country in the coming week and has advising citizens living in risk areas to move to higher grounds.
Deputy president vs governors
The national government’s announcement that it has no money to help flood victims is raising eyebrows as KSh4.4bn ($29m) had been allocated to the National Disaster Management Authority in the 2023/24 supplementary budget.
On Wednesday, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said county governments should not expect any funds from the national government to assist those affected by floods.
Governors deny receiving El Nino funds from National Government as DP Gachagua maintains Ksh.2.4 billion has been disbursed to counties pic.twitter.com/rabCoSlJR6
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) November 22, 2023
“Governors are expected to use emergency money within their budget to intervene for the people that they govern. We have no money for them,” he said.
Gachagua’s remarks came a day after he stated that the national government had released KSh10bn to all the 47 counties for flood mitigation measures.
He had even criticised Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir for not utilising the funds to help affected families.
The Council of Governors has criticised and dismissed claims by Gachagua, saying the deputy president is politicising the flood disaster.
Led by their chairperson, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, the county leaders said they have not received any funds from the national government for flood preparedness and mitigation.
COUNTIES YET TO RECEIVE ANY ALLOCATION FROM NATIONAL GOV’T TOWARDS EL NIÑO MITIGATION MEASURES
COG notes with concern public utterances that suggest that County Gov’ts have received funds from National Gov’t to support mitigation of the devastating impact of the El Nino Rains pic.twitter.com/eivXUKNvtY
— Council of Governors (@KenyaGovernors) November 22, 2023
“We note with concern public utterances that suggest that county governments have received money. We urge Gachagua to avoid populist politics,” she said.
Governors have warned that such pronouncements from the deputy president risk the spirit of cooperation between the county and national government as envisioned in the constitution.
We are on our own
The blame game now leaves the flood victims at the mercy of humanitarian organisations to provide temporary shelter, food and medicine.
Joseph Juma and his family have been displaced from their house in the Kisauni district in Mombasa County.
He tells The Africa Report that he and his two children have been forced to seek temporary refuge at a friend’s home.
“I lost all my household items. They were swept away by flood waters during the night. I have not received any help from the government,” he says.
Omar Abdullah Hassan, a livestock farmer in Wajir within the Northern Eastern region, says he lost more than 20 goats. The animals were swept away from his homestead last week.
“It’s hopeless now. Those goats were my only source of income,” he says.
Community and political leaders from the North Eastern region are calling for an urgent intervention to help evacuate affected people, avoid more deaths and help prevent waterborne diseases like cholera.
“We are overwhelmed. We need to get more logistical support. We fear more lives will be lost,” says Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi. Over 10,000 people have been affected in his county.
Michael Ayabei, the head of disaster management at Kenya Red Cross says the situation is dire.
“The humanitarian crisis is building up. Displaced people need shelter, food and medicine. We need more help,” he says.
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