Opposition faults Ruto Government over delayed drought response in Northern Kenya
The leaders noted that during the recently concluded by-elections, food items such as beans, rice, and maize were diverted to polling areas to woo voters instead of being directed to drought-stricken regions where families are in desperate need.
President William Ruto's Government has been blamed by the Opposition leaders for failing to promptly act on the drought situation in Northern Kenya.
The United Opposition on Thursday urged the government to treat the worsening drought situation in Northern Kenya with the utmost urgency.
More To Read
- Over 2.1 million Kenyans face severe food shortages as drought worsens
- Gachagua’s divisive remarks spark rift in United Opposition, draw backlash from allies
- Mandera herders lose livestock and hope as Governor Mohamed Khalif announces emergency relief measures
- Governors sound alarm over looming drought, call for urgent grain and livestock reserves
- Opposition leaders file petition challenging IEBC’s 'centralisation of presidential election results'
- Humanitarian agency appeals for Sh2.1 billion to aid 2.1 million Kenyans facing floods, drought
During a press briefing at Chui House, the Democratic Action Party (DAP-K) headquarters in Karen, on Thursday, the leaders, who included Wiper Party's Kalonzo Musyoka, DCP's Rigathi Gachagua, DP's Justin Muturi, and DAP-Kenya's Eugene Wamalwa, accused the State of laxity as drought devastates northern communities at a time when the rest of the country is preparing for the festive season.
They criticised the state for what they termed as misplaced priorities, noting that during the recently concluded by-elections, food items such as beans, rice, and maize were diverted to polling areas to woo voters instead of being directed to drought-stricken regions where families are in desperate need.
"This is a situation that we are demanding urgent action on. As we head into Christmas, Kenya is staring at a serious drought, yet this regime chose to misuse relief food—beans and rice—distributing them to woo voters in rain-rich areas like Kakamega, where it rains every day," they lamented.
The Opposition added that the government went even further by issuing non-food items such as mattresses and blankets to families in by-election zones rather than to those battling drought. According to them, the very families who needed these items the most were ignored.
They further alleged that the relief supplies meant for northern Kenya were redirected to the Western and Mount Kenya regions to influence voters.
They also jointly cited instances where government officials, including the Prime Cabinet Secretary, publicly distributed letters of appointment in an attempt to sway the electorate.
The leaders condemned the move as shameful, irresponsible, and insensitive to suffering families in the north.
The United Opposition urged the state to treat the situation as an emergency and mobilise all available resources to mitigate the drought. They further called on county governments to reallocate their budgets to support affected areas.
They also sent a request to MPs to fast-track legislative frameworks on disaster risk management.
Eugene Wamalwa, who delivered the statement, reminded the country that during his tenure as Cabinet Secretary for Devolution and Special Programmes, the Disaster and Risk Management Bill had already been drafted and submitted to Parliament.
He explained that the bill is currently under mediation in both houses and should be prioritised because it contains all the mechanisms needed to effectively respond to crises like the ongoing drought.
Top Stories Today
