Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro has been asked to address the hunger situation in the county.
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) leaders speaking in Kilifi challenged Governor to speed up the process of food distribution saying the situation is now dire.
They also urged him to pay pending bills immediately so that suppliers and contractors can also intervene in the ongoing hunger crisis.
The leaders said during the previous years contractors contributed heavily to relief but currently it has been difficult to help because many are broke due to the delay in paying pending bills.
Kilifi is one of the counties highly affected by the drought disaster with Ganze, Magarrini, a section of Malindi, and Kaloleni being the most affected areas respectively.
Addressing a press conference in Kilifi town the leaders led by Juliet Riziki alias Kachachawa who lost the Woman Rep Seat said what they saw on television was sad as a child was crying because he had not eaten for two days consecutively due to famine.
He said all those people were suffering yet there were elected leaders and a county government that is quiet and people do not know what they were planning.
“We would like to tell Governor Mungaro that you were elected by Kilifians, I did not elect you because you were not my candidate during campaigns but you are the governor of all people, get out of the office and go to the grassroots,” she said.
Ms Riziki told the governor to give weekly updates of how many people have been supported during this period.
“Currently the county is not moving because contractors have not been paid despite the fact that there are recurrent projects that must be paid,” she said.
Recently, Governor Mung’aro formed a task force last month to look into the Pending bills and gave it 21 days to give him a report on the same.
“We want to see money circulating in Kilifi so that contractors can be paid because at a time like this last year contractors teamed up and contributed money for relief food but now they are all broke how can they assist in combating the disaster,” she said.
She also challenged the woman Rep Gertrude Mbeyu to use her position to look for donors to help those affected by drought as her silence was worrying.
Michael Kithi a UDA leader from Ganze constituency said the hunger crisis is not new in Kilifi but the leaders have failed to come up with measures to address the problem conclusively.
He said those leaders in power should know that people in Ganze and the larger Kilifi are suffering
due to the drought disaster.
“It’s time as leaders we came together so as to address the issue so as to get permanent solutions,” he said.
Kithi thanked the president for nominating former Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa and former Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya in his cabinet and asked Coastal people and leaders to pray for them to be cleared by the vetting committee in parliament.
Former Ganda Ward MCA Abdulrahman Omar said the county has a lot of funds in the disaster management department but wondered why action has not been taken ever since the drought disaster was reported.
He called on the Governor to keep politics aside and handle the hunger crisis seriously so as to ensure people are supported during this period.
“I would like to call upon all leaders in power from the Coast to come together and push for the development of the region instead of fighting as it has been witnessed previously, it is sad that always the region is faced with the issue of famine, drought,“ he said.
Mwanahamisi Bakari from Mtepeni ward in Kilifi South Constituency thanked President William Ruto for recognizing Kilifi and Coast at large as he has already begun fulfilling the promises he made.
She said they are happy to see some of Rutos cabinet nominees including Jumwa from the Coast region and wished them well in their vetting.
“We are proud of having a woman cabinet secretary who is from Kilifi county, this is history because she is the first woman to be minister,“ she said.
