The opposition Azimio One Kenya Coalition now wants thorough audit into the expenditure of billions of shillings allocated for mitigation measures against the El Nino rains.
The government, through the then East Africa Community (EA), Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Development Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano who is currently serving as the Investments, Trade and Industry CS said they had allocated over Sh10billion for the El Nino rains with a whooping Sh9.3billion required for the Arid and Semi-Arid (ASAL) areas.
Azimio principal and Wiper Democratic Movement Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka says the government must lay bare the budgets drawn in respect to previously anticipated EL-Nino rains.
In late October, president William Ruto Kenya will not experience El Niño rains as previously expected following highly publicised mobilization of billions of shillings for mitigation measures but scientists faulted him
Ruto said the Kenya Meteorological Department had downgraded its earlier warning, saying the rains will only be above average.
The national government had projected that it would spend more than Sh10 billion shillings to mitigate the effects of the El Niño rains, and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua convened several stakeholder meetings to review Kenya’s preparedness and come up with effective mitigation plans.
Kalonzo noted that huge sums of money had been allocated for mitigation programs and Kenyans ought to know the truth about their utilization, especially in light of changing rainfall patterns.
“If you have reduced it from El-Nino status for which you had budgeted, and now you are saying it’s going to be normal heavy rains, we want to know how money has been spent, Kenyans want accountability.” Kalonzo noted.
He added that: “We want to know how the money budgeted for El-Nino rains has been utilized. There must be complete accountability.”
The former Vice President added that Kenyans are keen in the wake of hard economic times and so they demand accountability for every penny budgeted for by the government.
A humanitarian crisis is looming from the deadly deluge that has continued to pound many parts of the country that has left at least three people dead in Mandera while over 6,000 others have been displaced in Meru.
The situation has occasioned widespread displacements across the country precipitating humanitarian aid on essential supplies like food, make shift tents and fears of disease outbreaks in transitional camps.
In Mandera county, three people have died and thousands of others have been displaced by floods following heavy rains.
In Meru, over 6,000 have been left homeless and livestock swept away.
At the same time, Kalonzo said the High Grandfalls whose works will commence soon will be a great asset to communities in the Eastern region.
He says this grand project will greatly boost food production through irrigation schemes similar to the Wikithuki Irrigation scheme along the Tana River thus making the area food secure.
“Food security is paramount to any society and thus High Grand Falls will bring the highly needed steady supply of water in the three counties and beyond for irrigation and further generation of over 600 megawatts of electricity.” He added.
