Nairobi — MPs from the Northern Kenya region have decried over what they perceive as discrimination and neglect by the national government in addressing the impact of the El Niño rains, which have tragically resulted in the loss of fifteen lives.
They claim, overwhelming two-thirds of the region is submerged, with Wajir County bearing the brunt of this devastation.
The legislators have called out Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, stressing that the allocation of emergency resources to alleviate the effects of the El Niño rains appears to be unfairly distributed.
They emphasize the urgent need for a more equitable and responsive approach to support the affected regions including Northern Kenya.
Addressing a press conference at Wilson Airport on Tuesday, while flagging off 24 tonnes of consignment of food stuffs and drugs destined to six sub counties of Wajir County, the legislators, led by Eldas MP Adan Keynan said the expected help from the national government is neither clear nor well thought out .
According to him, the national government should come out and assist affected people to get food, shelter and medicine which is not missing so far.
"We want the national government to come out properly and assist the residence of our counties. What is being coordinated and what we have been told it's been coordinated. We're not seeing it at all,' said Keynan.
Wajir Senator Mohamed Abass Sheikh lamented that the national government is yet to announce any interventions for assist those marooned by the floods for the third week now.
"Sometimes, we ask ourselves whether we're part of this country, or we are third class citizens. For instance, the floods in Mombasa city started this week but you have the deputy president and his team is already at the coast assisting the County government of Mombasa through various interventions, what about northern Kenya, is it not part of this country," posed Senator Sheikh.
While decrying laxity on part of the National government, Wajir West MP Yusuf Mohamed Farah said the magnitude of the problem and the response by the national government is not matching even as he called for more concerted effort.
Farah said the national government should their take their responsibilities seriously to avert more catastrophes.
"As parliament, we have appropriated money to deal with this emergencies that ravaged our country especially in the Northern Kenya, in the Counties of Garissa, Wajir and Mandera, but we seeing nothing on the ground as our people perish," said Hon. Farah.
The road leading to the Northern of part of this country has been washed away, by ravaging floods at Modogashe; blocking any humanitarian assistance heading to Wajir and Mandera Counties, he said.
Farah further appealed to KENHA to take their responsibility seriously and fix the road within the shortest time possible to enable take all aid through the road because airlifting all goods will not be practically possible.
"Even if we airlifted all goods to Wajir county headquarters, you also need to airlift the same to areas that are far-fetched, which as of now has been cut off or marooned by the waters," he lamented.
Farah appealed to President William Ruto to apologize to Kenyans for misleading country that there will be no el nino as predicted by scientists.
"The reality has now dawned on us. The weatherman has been vindicated by God. And that Elnino rains are here with us. We must take this issue seriously," he held.
He also asked deputy president Rigathi Gachagua not be skewed in distribution of emergency resources saying there was some level of bias during the handling of the drought situation.
"We want him not to concentrate emergency resources only central and other parts of the country. This has been before during the drought season when the deputy president took all the donations to Central and other food to central part of this country. And he left northern Kenya, which was severely affected during drought and famine. And we can see now exactly that is what is happening today," he decried.
On his part, Tarbaj MP Hussein Bare said despite parliament appropriate funds to tackle emergencies such Elnino rains, those in the national government charged with the responsibilities were sleeping on their job and left the tasks to the Kenya Red Cross Society and the County government of Wajir putting some effort.
"We are only seeing a chopper from the military, trying to deliver some food stamps to affected families which not enough and That is the much we are seeing," said Bare.
He appealed to President William Ruto to visit the region and appreciate the level of catastrophe is unfolding in the area.
"Because some his cabinet ministers and his other officials are not up to the task coz it seems they are more concerned with low level politics than what is happening on the ground," he held.
Sharing his sentiments, Wajir East MP Wajir East MP Hon. Mohamed Aden Daudi said parliament last week had already appropriated money for Elnino rains emergency.
Daudi appealed to the Ministry of East African Community and special programs which is responsible to swing to action almost immediately.
"We are demanding that the minister and her team visit with Wajir County and other parts of this country which has been affected. Because do not want to see that very famous session on paper number 10 of 1965. When it comes to development, it is a same when it comes to response to emergencies. We are going along the railway line from Nairobi to Mombasa, we will not accept," said Daudi.
He added: "What we are asking for and which is our right anyway, it is not something you're begging for the government to take action. As of now the national government that we see in northern Kenya is called Kenya Red Cross; those are the only people who have rendered some response in our area."
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With the roads washed away by ravaging floods, Daudi, said the Kenya power substation in Wajir Town, will run out of fuel and the entire will be in total darkness.
"Tomorrow will not even have any form of communication, because we cannot even charge our phones. So there total blackout as far as communication is concerned. And we will be people who will be living in the stone age," he lamented.
Wajir Women representative Fatuma Jehow asked the Ministry of Transport and roads to open the roads to facilitate movements of all trucks and vehicles that have in the past four weeks stuck between Modugashe and Wajir County.
"Mr. President, wherever you are, if you're hearing this, we need urgent intervention, please, we need this access roads to be opened. We need urgent food our people are dying," said Fatuma.
The County MP appealed to the business communities both in Kenya and outside to come out and help this emergency situation.
"We are asking the business communities to also extend their hand and help them our people just like Blue bird aviation who have offered support by airlifting the goods to Wajir county," he held.
