Govt to spend Sh1.9m on rent for Huruma building victims
What you need to know:
- At least 49 people were killed and tens of others injured when a six-storey structure in Huruma collapsed. The structure had 198 rooms, each of which had been occupied by the time it came tumbling down.
- It is not clear whether the Sh6 million is restricted to those who stayed in the building or will be advanced to those in the neighbourhood, ordered to relocate.
The government on Tuesday said it will pay a two-month rent for 198 families affected by the recent collapse of a building in Huruma, Nairobi.
Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs CS Sicily Kariuki said the rent worth Sh1, 980, 000 is part of the Sh6 million the government is giving out to help resettle the families.
“What we have given is only a drop in the ocean, but we hope that it will go a long way in supporting the community and families to begin to heal and rebuild their lives,” the CS said on Tuesday in Nairobi.
The money was sourced from the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), a kitty meant to support people affected with disasters.
In this case, the government will pay rent for two months in apartments where the affected families have relocated besides an additional Sh990, 000 for helping school children who lost educational material like books, uniform and shoes.
There will be another Sh1, 230,000 for buying food, getting clean water and other basic items for families displaced by the collapsed building.
At least 49 people were killed and tens of others injured when a six-storey structure in Huruma collapsed. The structure had 198 rooms, each of which had been occupied by the time it came tumbling down.
The county government, blamed for looking the other way, has insisted the building had been marked as unsafe for habitation.
The county government has also blamed the National Environmental Management Authority (Nema) for approving building plans for structures along rivers and wetlands.
In Huruma, the government has gone on to declare several structures as unsafe and ordered occupants to relocate.
It is not clear whether the Sh6 million is restricted to those who stayed in the building or will be advanced to those in the neighbourhood, ordered to relocate.
The funds disbursed by the ministry also include an additional funeral expense assistance of Sh600, 000 and Sh200, 000 for contingency.
The CS was accompanied by Nairobi Women Representative Rachel Shebesh, Sophia Abdi Noor who chairs the National Affirmative Action Fund and Gender Affairs PS Zeinab Hussein.
