Residents living in landslide-prone areas in Murang’a County have been advised to move to safer grounds to avert the loss of lives as heavy rains continue pounding the area.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said the government is making arrangements to have those in potentially risky areas get temporary accommodation in the nearby public institutions until the rains subside.
Speaking in Kiganjo Mathioya when he visited the families affected by the landslide, Gachagua also promised that the government would provide all the basic commodities to the victims.
“We are urging people in all the areas that have been marked as danger spots to move out of their homes instead of waiting for the disaster to strike,” he remarked.
“Warnings have been sent out to people to be on the lookout for any danger signs in their areas and they should take caution” the DP added.
About 52 families in Kiganjo have moved out of their homes following a landslide that occurred on Sunday night leaving six people dead.
Several leaders from Murang’a who had accompanied the deputy president among them Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, his counterpart from Mathioya Edwin Mugo, and senator Joe Nyutu called for prudent utilization of the funds that will be released to cater for the victims.
Ndindi who chairs the parliamentary budget committee said the emergency fund will be released even without the approval of the Parliament saying the situation in the country is terrible.
“We are allowed to release the funds and seek approval later and the situation in the country right now cannot allow us to wait to follow the necessary procedures," Nyoro said.
“The money is allocated both to National and County governments and I urge those who will be entrusted with it to ensure it gets to the deserving victims” he added.
He also said the government would do an assessment of the damage done by the rains and get more resources to help the victims start their lives afresh.
“People have lost their entire livelihood and we will be looking for ways to help them rebuild their lives after the rains,” the MP said.
Mathioya MP on his part lamented that this area is the worst affected by the rains pointing out that every rainy season, landslides are reported.
The area Senator urged the county government of Murang’a to use money meant for emergencies to support the families that were hit by the landslide.
Nyutu noted the county has almost Ksh200 million from the equitable fund meant to cater for emergencies which can be used to relocate the families saying their land was completely destroyed and can't even get a place to bury those who died in the incident.
