We are told by the national government the ongoing El Nino rains have claimed 70 lives, 70 taxpayers too many.
We are also told by the same government some areas of this country are in lockdown and their residents cannot access areas outside their borders because roads have been damaged and flooded. Residents of these areas are finding it difficult to access basic commodities such as food and medicine.
But top officials of the government seem to think this is a joking matter and are showing signs of taking advantage of the situation to wage political supremacy battles and play to the public gallery by issuing populist statements as they donate small portions of food that won’t last a day to suffering and vulnerable compatriots affected by the rains that were predicted years ago, and the tax-loving government did nothing to reduce the negative impact naturally expected to follow.
There is a clear tug-of-war between the two levels of governments over the financial resources available to mitigate the deadly effects of the ongoing rains and their attendant floods. And as is the custom in this country, in the middle of such conflict, billions of shillings is bound to be lost, nay, stolen and so have been and are bound to be lives.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, the second-highest officer of the national government, says the county governments have received money to deal with this national disaster and save lives and property
The chairperson of the Council of Governors Anne Waiguru says no county has received the money and they are waiting for the National treasury to do the needful and release the money already budgeted for El Nino. Now at least one of these very top Kenyans is lying to the public. In the meantime, bottom Kenyans continue to die.
On Tuesday, while donating some food in Mombasa, Gachagua said the county had received the funds and urged the governor to release them in the face of heavy flooding in the coastal city. The DP said so far, Mombasa was the only one among those affected by floods that had not released El Nino funds.
But minutes later, Waiguru came to the defence Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir, saying, if anything, it is the national government that has failed to disburse funds to the devolved units. She urged the de facto second topmost leader of her party to avoid populist politics and lies, saying the counties are owed a total of Sh62.58 billion from the equitable share that is yet to be disbursed.
Waiguru said 13 counties are owed Sh10.17 billion for September, 27 counties are owed Sh19.64 billion for October and all counties are owed, Sh32.76 billion for November. Nandi Governor Stephen Sang, also of the ruling UDA party, said the rains are becoming a “tall order for some counties, yet the choppers belonging to the state are lying idle
The same day, Nassir came out guns blazing and told off the DP over the claims that the county received El Nino mitigation funds.
“For someone who says they are a person who loves to tell the truth, it is hypocritical to not have the face of telling the truth. No, we have not received El Nino funds,” he was quoted as saying.
The Meteorological department has warned of more rains in the coming weeks and asked for action to address the effects. Meanwhile, the blame game continues.
But in a not-so-interesting turn of events, President Ruto himself seems to trivialise the matter. In his characteristic manner at churches’ alters, Ruto declared the floods and rains will not be destructive and, in fact, they are good for the country’s agricultural industry.
Speaking at during a church service in Dagoretti South on Sunday, the head of state said, “You heard the news that we would experience El Nino that will destroy places and property. But who is God? You’ve heard they have said we won’t have El Nino," he said.
“The department has instead said there will be rain but not to an extent of destruction, we will only have significant rains.”
Seventy lives gone and counting and the head of the nation says the rains are not destructive? And all in total contradiction of the expert government department? We must be living in two different countries, or rather, we wish we could be living in two different countries.
While Ruto has the freedom to personally joke around issues with his religious preferences, it is wrong for him to look like he is dancing on the grave of even one of the victims of failures of his government.
We are where we are largely because he dismissed early warnings by relevant institutions and insisted there will be no El Nino. Now 70 Kenyans are dead, and counting. But he should now redeem his image, whip his troops to mobilise finances and mitigate the effects of the disaster and save the country from further destruction.
In the meantime, the President should let experts do their work while he does his. It is the least he can do for suffering Kenyans.
The writer is a political commentator