NAIROBI—President Uhuru Kenyatta has declared drought a national disaster. The drought is affecting 23 Arid and Semi-Arid counties.
Speaking after a briefing with Cabinet secretaries at State House in Nairobi, Uhuru called on all relevant ministries and authorities to scale up their drought-mitigation programmes.
The drought had affected humans, livestock and wildlife.
The president invited the international community in mitigating the drought impact, saying the only government won’t be able to address it.
“Support from our partners would complement government efforts in mitigating the effects of drought,” Uhuru said.
Before he made the much-awaited declaration, Uhuru came out of a meeting where the officials who attended were the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua, Cabinet secretaries Henry Rotich (Treasury), Willy Bett (Agriculture and Livestock), Mwangi Kiunjuri (Devolution), Phyllis Kandie (East African Community, Labour and Social Protection), Eugene Wamalwa (Water and Irrigation), principal secretaries Richard Lesiyampe, Susan Mochache and Fred Sigor, and Conservation Secretary Gideon Gathaara.
President Uhuru warned officials from taking advantage of the situation, saying he would be tough on corruption and fraud.
“Any official found enriching him/herself from this situation will be punished because this would amount to fraud, which is punishable under the law,” Uhuru warned.
He called on all investigative agencies to remain active in this period and get themselves engaged in the process from purchase, transportation and distribution to avert cases of corruption.
“Let all investigative agencies, including the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, get involved in the activities being undertaken during this period,” he said.
“I don’t want a situation where the government would be accused of taking advantage of this situation,”he added.
The president directed government agencies charged with overseeing the emergency response to control the price of the maize, adding only licensed millers would be allowed to import.
The Treasury has released the first batch of sh 7.3 billion as part of the sh 11 billion earmarked for the second phase of the drought mitigation measures.
The county governments are expected to inject additional sh 2 billion.
