Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has appealed to residents in parts of Murang’a County, and indeed Kenyans in risky areas to move to safer grounds as heavy rains continue to wreak havoc.
Speaking when he condoled with families of people who lost loved ones on Sunday after their houses were hit and swept by landslides, the Deputy President has pleaded with the residents on slopes and other disaster prone areas to seek refuge until the rains subside.
While leading in distribution of hundreds of bags of rice, beans, millet flour, mattresses, blankets, among other items thde Deputy President comforted the bereaved and displaced people assuring them of Government’s support.
“I am kindly asking anyone who is on the sloppy areas to move to higher grounds or seek refugee elsewhere for the period the rains. There is no harm in spending a few days in a friend or relative’s house rather than endangering your lives downstream,” he said.
Six people, including two adults, a youth and three minors died in the Murang’a incident. The landslide also affected three homestead and destroyed land of about a three acre stretch.
Gachagua added that the government is keen at ensuring that no Kenyan suffers from the ravaging effects of the floods and stamped the government’s commitment in supporting the affected.
“We want to ensure that no more lives are lost. We are also providing food and non-food items to the families affected so that they can get facilitation during this hard situation that has been caused by the continuous rains, said the Deputy President.”
The DP reiterated that disaster management team he is leading will work day and night to ensure that no one is adversely affected.
” I was given a responsibility by President William Ruto to lead the multiagency team during the drought period and I successfully delivered, I will also ensure that this assignment that I have been given succeeds and all affected people goes back to normalcy, he added.”
At least 50 families have been displaced and are seeking refuge at a Ngutu Primary School.
In his pursuit to end illicit brew in the region and the country, Mr. Gachagua said that the war is on course and despite a show of a positive progress, more work is needed.
“The war on drugs and substance abuse is on course. We are now at 80 percent but a lot needs to he done to get us to a 100 percent. Young men are now going home early and soon you will see the productivity, he added.”
