Murugi issues alert on floods

Special Programmes minister Esther Murugi has called on people living in flood-prone areas to move to higher grounds, as the heavy rains season sets in.

“We are anticipating heavy rains. We’ve however stocked our warehouses with enough food and other necessary humanitarian supplies in readiness for any eventuality,” she said.

The minister was speaking at Kiamuiru Catholic Church after attending the Palm Sunday Mass.

She added that the Japanese Government had given Kenya enough resources to cope with disasters.

“We were given about Sh500 million by Japan and so we are as prepared as can be,” said the minister.

She said the government was able to overcome the flooding crisis in Budalang’i with help from the World Bank.

Ms Murugi, however said the problem in Nyatike and Nyando required the intervention of the Environment ministry to divert floodwaters water into River Nyando.

“What we have done is to issue alerts to the people in those areas to move to higher grounds until the rains are over,” she said.

Ms Murugi added that the Cabinet had prepared a disaster management policy that was pending parliamentary approval.

The Nyeri Town MP-elect clarified that she had not resigned from her Cabinet post as required in a directive from the Office of the President but would do so this week.

“I haven’t resigned yet but will do so on March 27 in order to participate in the election of the Speaker. But my bags are already packed,” she stated.

The minister explained that those who will not have resigned by then will not be able to elect the National Assembly Speaker according to the law.

She added that there would be no power vacuum if the ministers resign since government business would still be handled by permanent secretaries.

“The permanent secretaries were running the government when we were out campaigning and so there would be no vacuum even if the Supreme Court decides that we go for another election,” she said.