President William Ruto has said that 27,000 people who were living in riparian land have been relocated following heavy floods witnessed in Kenya in April and early March.
Speaking on Thursday during the National Prayers Day, President Ruto said the amount was spent to provide an alternative shelter to those relocated from the areas affected by floods.
“We have had to relocate 27,000 people from riparian reserves. We have spent close to Sh300 million to make sure that people who have been relocated have alternative places to stay. We still have another 30,000 that we are processing to relocate them,” Ruto said.
The demolitions have left many people in areas such as Mathare, Kiambiu, and Kitui Village stranded following orders from the government to minimise risks posed by the heavy rains and flooding.
Residents complained that they were not given notice to move their possessions before the demolitions began.
On May 6, 2024, Ruto announced that the affected families who were forced to flee their homes due to flooding would each get a Sh10,000 stipend to assist them in finding new places to live.
He noted that the stipend and the three months’ rent were a short-term solution as the government sought a permanent solution.
“There are 40,000 households affected during the evacuation for safety reasons. Every household will receive Sh10,000 to look for alternative housing. We will give them the money for their 3-month rent as the government looks for another alternative,” Ruto said.
He reiterated that the country must act swiftly and decisively to mitigate the devastating impacts of floods and protect life and property.
“No one will sleep hungry. No child will sleep hungry. We have enough money to buy food for everyone who has been affected by floods in Nairobi and the entire country,” Ruto said.
On Monday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said about 25,000 households relocated from the Nairobi Rivers corridors have received the Sh10,000 promised by the government.
Kindiki said the remaining 15,000 households would receive their allocation by Friday.
“Already, 25,000 households have received the pledged government support of Sh10,000 per household, while the remaining households will receive theirs by close of business Friday, May 31,” Kindiki said.
Estimates from the National Treasury indicate that Kenya will need Sh2 billion to build and repair key infrastructure that was damaged due to the heavy rains.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee on May 28, Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo said, a further Sh1.8 billion will be allocated in the 2024 – 2025 budget for the restoration of school infrastructure.
