Deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has assured residents who have been affected by ongoing heavy rains of government’s support.
Gachagua stated that families who have been displaced from their homes will get humanitarian support until the time they will go back to their homes.
He asked people living in high-risk areas to move to safer areas as the government was working to offer temporary shelter and food among other basic necessities.
The DP spoke at Ngutu primary school in Mathioya Sub County which is currently hosting more than 52 families which were affected by a Sunday night landslide at Kijango village that left six people dead.
Leading other leaders to offer food among other personal items, Gachagua pleaded with those living within landslide prone areas to heed the government’s directive and move to safe places. “Don’t wait to be affected by a landslide. If experts have warned your area can be hit by the disaster, just move. The government is working to cater for the expenses of those who have been displaced and affected by the ongoing rains,” he said
The Sunday night landslide swept away an area of about three acres destroying three homes where a mother, her three children and a man and his wife perished.
More than 52 families neighboring the scene, which are also at risk of being hit by landslide were moved to Ngutu primary school.
At the same time, a team of Murang’a legislators led by Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro who visited the victims earlier in the day said there are funds which are usually allocated in both national and county governments to cater for emergency cases.
Ndindi who chairs the Parliamentary committee on budget has asked accounting officers of government agencies entrusted to handle disasters to release the funds and assist victims of the devastating rains.
He noted that Parliament will approve the funds used on the emergencies later saying due to the havoc caused by heavy rains, the Constitution allows use of funds prior approval to save lives.
“The emergencies caused by heavy rains are devastating and have negatively impacted many families across the country. There are monies allocated to handle emergencies in both county and national budgets. The Constitution allows prior use of the funds based on public finance structures when a disaster strikes and then expenditure approval be done later,” added Ndindi.
The government, he assured, will support the affected families to resume normal lives.
On his part Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu asked the county government of Murang’a to use money meant for emergencies to support the families that were hit by the landslide.
Nyutu noted the County has almost Sh. 200 million from the equitable fund meant to cater for emergencies which can be used to relocate the families saying their land was completely destroyed and even no place can be used to bury those who perished in the incident.
The County Woman Representative Betty Maina said officers from the Ministry of Interior assisted by those from the Red Cross should assess and inspect all high risk areas and advise locals to relocate to safer areas.
Ms Maina said according to the weather forecast many parts of Murang’a will continue to receive heavy rainfall thus the need to take precautionary measures to save lives and property.
Mathioya MP Edwin Mugo lamented that his constituency is among those heavily affected by floods. He said sections of local roads have been partly blocked by debris calling various road agencies to clear up the rubbles and advise motorists on the safer routes to use.
By Bernard Munyao and Purity Mugo
