BRIEF ON THE CURRENT FLOODS IN KENYA

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT MINISTRY OF STATE FOR SPECIAL PROGRAMMES

1. How many people have died? Been displaced? 66 have died and over 4,360 households have been displaced. 2. What is the Government doing about it? • The Government has provided early warning information through the Meteorological Department on the impending rains, outbreak of diseases in areas prone to malaria and other waterborne diseases. • Government in conjunction with the Kenya Red Cross has also provided humanitarian support of food and Non food Items to the areas affected by floods and landslides such as Magarini, Narok, Mai Mahiu, Kitengela and Budalang’i. Over the past one month, the Ministry of State for Special Programmes has distributed the following amount of food to the floods victims: - 4,500 x 90 Kgs Bags of Maize, 2,450 x 50 Kgs bags of rice, 2,155 x 797 Kgs bags of beans, 500 cartons of vegetable oil and 286 bales of nutropup all valued at Kshs. 51,823,850. This has interfered with the routine monthly distribution. • The Government has advised people living in flood and landslides prone areas to move to higher grounds motorists are advised to exercise caution while driving. 3. Does the Government have arrangements for the displaced? • We’ve advised people to move to higher ground in areas such as Budalang’i and we’ve further set-up Mudere Multi-purpose Centre to host the displaced. • Apart from that we’ve cleared rivers that have been clogged for ease flow of water. • Food and Non-food items have been prepositioned in areas that have been affected by floods and landslides. 4. Any latest prediction on the rain patterns. • The Meteorological Department says in the week ending on the 19th May 2012 areas in Western, Central Highlands and Nairobi will experience rains in less intensity. • Pick up rains will be experienced in North Eastern part of the country • Heavy rainfall expected in South Coast regions. 5. Are there any assessments that have been conducted to evaluate the situation and other hazardous areas? • Yes, there have been evaluation by technical teams from various Government agencies including Ministries of Special Programmes, Provincial Administration, Health, Public Works, Roads and Agriculture in areas affected by the rains. It has been found that damage to infrastructure is estimated at Kshs. 70 billion during the current rainy season. • In addition the Disaster Management Committee has been put on high alert so that they can respond promptly when disaster strikes. • The Hon. Minister, Asst. Minister and PS of MOSSP have all visited the areas affected to coordinate humanitarian assistance. 6. Will the Government compensate the families that have suffered losses i.e. in hospitals and lose of live? The Government is not in a position to compensate those affected by these natural calamities. We are however, helping those affected to quickly resume their normal livelihood. 7. What the Government planning to in order to mitigate this occurrence • The Government packaged precautionary information which contains measures to be taken on imminent threats to help people and institutions respond and cope with effects of disasters. These include production and distribution of standard information booklets on various disasters in the country in Swahili language. • Train District Disaster Management Committees in each district to be able to plan for risks and disasters and manage them should they occur. • We are building capacities of Secondary schools students and other institutions on Disaster Management. • We have developed the National Disaster Management Policy which provides for a clear structure on the coordination of all stakeholders in disaster risk reduction and management. • A Disaster Response Plan has been developed which assigns different stakeholders roles that they are supposed to play in the event of disasters. This enables the Government to utilize disaster management resources held by sector. • Developed the National Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction which provides for measures that Government should undertake in advance at the community level in anticipation of disasters hence reducing disaster risks.