After claiming that the National Government had disbursed Sh10 billion to Counties for El Nino, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua now says that Counties are expected to use their emergency funds.
The Deputy President dismissed complaints by governors regarding disbursement of funds from the national government to mitigate effects of ongoing El Nino rains.
Speaking during the launch of the Development Partnership Forum in Karen, DP Gachagua termed as a misconception the governors’ claims that the national government had committed to offer direct financial support to counties for El Nino mitigation purposes.
“During our last consultation, we did agree on a coordination framework between the national government, the county governments and our development partners. We did agree that the county coordination teams that are co-chaired by the county commissioners and governors would be the forum through which to channel help. We did appeal to our development partners to upscale their level of assistance and I am grateful that continues to flow.
“We did commit as a national government to set aside funds for these interventions. We did appeal to the county governments also to consider channelling funds for these interventions. However, there has been a misconception that some county governments have been waiting for the national government to give them money for these interventions. That is not the case,” Gachagua stated.
The deputy president has instead urged the county bosses to use emergency money within their financial provision or re-allocate money within their budget to intervene for the people they govern.
“We are shocked to see governors complaining that they are yet to receive money for El Nino from the national government; such money is not coming. We expect them to use emergency money within their financial provision or reallocate money within their budget to intervene for the people they govern,” he added.
The remarks come a day after Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir and his Siaya counterpart James Orengo dismissed the DP’s remarks that counties had received Ksh10 billion from the national government for the El Nino interventions.
Speaking while distributing relief food and other items to flood victims in Kisauni on tuesday, the county chiefs accused the government of a lack of El Nino preparedness and marshal plan despite prior warnings from the Met Department.