West Pokot leaders have appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta to halt the BBI agenda and focus on the ruins caused by downpours.
They want floods declared a national disaster so the country can seek international aid. Kacheliba MP Mark Lomunakol said funds meant for the implementation of the BBI recommendations should be diverted to help those who have been displaced by floods.
“The country has lost over 130 people due to heavy rains and the government had done less in preventing more deaths. We need to declare this incident as a national disaster so we can get help from various agencies,” he said.
The leaders said the BBI report should be revisited when Kenyans are safe from disasters. They spoke when 25 bodies of the landslide tragedy victims were brought for a funeral mass. Kitale Catholic bishop Maurice Crowley conducted the mass.
Lomunokol termed it shameful for the country to concentrate on the BBI while other Kenyans are mourning their loved ones.
“Three weeks later, bodies of the landslide victims have not been retrieved from the mud. The government should divert its efforts to the affected areas so we can retrieve the bodies and offer a decent burial,” he said.
He said military choppers are unable to land in the affected areas on time to save lives, adding that it is "a clear indication that the county is not able to handle the situation".
“I urge the president to come out of statehouse and asses the true picture on the ground,” the lawmaker said.
Woman representative Lilian Tomitom accused the government of allocating more than Sh10 million for the BBI agenda while ignoring the plight of Kenyans.
“Those who have died and lost loved ones voted for this government and it shameful for the government to allocate Ksh. 50,000 for those who lost lives for burial arrangements,” she said.
Tomitom called for compensation and resettlement of the affected families.
Kapenguria MP Samuel Moroto said residents voted for Jubilee but have nothing to celebrate.
“The government has been slow in helping our people. The government needs to treat all Kenyans equally,” he said.
Governor John Lonyangapuo called on Kenha to repair bridges that were washed away on the Kitale-Lodwar highway. He said that the authority had done shoddy work at a bridge in Ortum and three weeks later it was washed away again.
“The authority should be serious and use long-lasting materials in setting up the bridges along the highway since the country is expected to continue receiving heavy rains,” he said.
Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa defended the government, saying it is committed to ensuring missing bodies are recovered.
“Burial of those who have found their loved ones doesn’t mean the search mission has been completed. The government shall continue searching for the bodies,” he said.
Wamalwa told the county government to set aside funds to help during such calamities. “The law allows counties to set aside two per cent of the total funds to help during such incidents,” he said, urging residents in dangerous areas to relocate.
Residents turned out in large numbers, despite heavy rains. Most of the bodies were of those aged between eight and 20. Fourteen bodies had been buried as they could not be transported Kapenguria county morgue. Sixteen others are missing.
One body of a girl aged is still lying at the Kapenguria morgue unidentified. The leaders appealed to those who have a missing daughter aged between 14 and 16 to visit the morgue.
The bodies were transported to villages for burial. Other Leaders present were ASAL Areas PS Micah Powon, Energy CAS Simon Kachapin, and MPS Peter Lochakapong (Sigor), William Kamket (Tiaty) and David Pkossing (Pokot South).
