Tana River County leaders have expressed dissatisfaction with the national government for continued marginalization and destruction of the ecosystem.
Led by Governor Dhadho Godhana, the leaders claimed that the natural calamities experienced in the area and especially in Tana Delta Sub County were as a result of destructive development along the river Tana upstream.
Mr Godhana cited the mega dams constructed along Kenya’s longest river as a contributing factor to drought and floods adding that it was ironic for the national government to initiate irrigation projects in the area while at the same time denying the area of much needed water by controlling water flow from the dams upstream.
He added that the on coming El Nino rains will be a blessing to residents as it will flow into farms and deposit the much-needed silt for agriculture.
“This Tana will not feed the nation because you are praising it at the same time, you’re killing it by constructive dams upstream. If the construction of dams will not stop upstream, we will remain poor and not even be able to feed ourselves,” he said.
He also advised residents to prepare for the El Nino rains and move their valuable items to higher grounds before the rains start.
“Our hope now lies in the coming El Nino. We have prepared ourselves for rains and our budget is Sh. 2.6 billion but we need a lasting solution because every year we spend a lot of money in response. We shall be forced to halt some programs and deal with the response,” he said.
Wayu ward MCA Makka Jarso said that the County was very huge and it should be split into two counties for easy governance and resource mobilization.
“In the bipartisan talks I have seen some people propose extra counties but they did not mention Tana River and yet we are poor and marginalized,” he said.
His Kinakomba ward counterpart Ahmed Babusa said that the increased taxation of Kenyans should be implemented according to poverty indexes since some counties were poorer than others.
Grasen MP Ali Wario called on the County government to employ enough medical personnel in preparation for the rains.
Senator Danson Mungatana however, depended on the government’s decision to increase fuel prices saying it was a global problem.
