Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is asking Governors to use emergency funds, allocated to the counties by the Treasury to mitigate the ongoing devastation of El Nino rains across the country, especially in Coast and Nothern Kenya Counties.
Speaking on Wednesday at the Deputy President’s in Karen when he hosted a Development Partnerships Forum – DPF, Gachagua dismissed Governor Abdulswamad’s claims that the government has not allocated emergency funds to contain the effects of flooding, including relief food, basic needs, and healthcare.
”We did agree on a co-ordination framework, between the national government, the county government, and our development partners. We did agree that the county coordination teams that are co-chaired by the county commissioners and the governors would be the forum through which to channel help,” DP Gachagua said.
”We did appeal to county governments to consider channeling funds for this intervention. There has been a misconception that some county governments are waiting for funds from the government. However, there has been a misconception that some county governments have been waiting for national government to give them money for this intervention. That is not the case,” he added.
DP was categorical that the National government expects county governments to re-allocate the money they already have, to cater to the emerging needs from the crisis, just as is currently happening in Garissa, Wajir, Kwale, Mandera.
Gachagua explained that the national government is coming in to provide logistical support wherever required, to move food and other resources to flood-affected counties.
