• Red Cross says Sh600 million spent on building houses for victims in 26 counties.
• Sh100 million spent on healthcare, Sh150 million on water and the rest on logistics and administration.
Houses for last year's flood victims have been built, the Kenya Red Cross Society has said.
Secretary general Abbas Gullet on Wednesday said they have build 5,700 out of the targeted 6,000 houses under the Sh1 billion government project. It was being undertaken in 26 counties.
The funds were allocated by the government following last year's disaster.
Gullet said the funds were well utilised and have transformed lives of the victims who are now living in modern houses on higher grounds.
He said they have submitted a report to the Interior ministry, presenting a detailed accounting of funds.
He spoke during a tour of the houses in Magarini subcounty in Kilifi. Magarini was among the areas worst-hit by last year's floods.
At least 211,000 people were directly affected by floods in 38 counties.
However, the 26 counties were the worst hit and required reconstruction of houses on safer grounds.
Gullet said Sh600 million was spent on building houses while Sh100 million was spent on healthcare.
Another Sh150 million was spent on water and the rest on logistics.
In the building plan, each family was to be allocated Sh100,000 to build a one-bedroom semi-permanent house.
Gullet said they were supposed to build 900 houses in Kilifi. So far, 800 are complete. In Tana River, Red Cross was to build 1,800 houses. About 1,100 have been completed.
"Some of the victims began moving into their houses in December as soon as they were ready. Others are in their final stages and will be ready in two weeks, "Gullet said.
Victims can comfortably farm on the low lands prone to floods and live safely in the high lands where they have homes, he said.
The villages are now dotted with cement and mabati-roofed buildings, stronger than the traditional makuti-thatched houses previously built in the flood-prone areas.
Racheal Haluwa was excited about her new house at Kalongoni village.
"I've completely left the flood-prone area. I'm happy now I just have to walk for 3km downstream for farming and come back to the safer grounds,'' said the mother of five.
Most victims appealed to the county and national governments to provide incentives and om[its for farming, including seeds, and fertilisers, saying they were starting afresh.
Many want the government to provide relief food to help them survive drought.
Edited by Peter Obuya