National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has directed that National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani should appear before the House Committee to explain the expenditure of Sh2 billion released to support 2.4 million Kenyans in counties affected by drought.
Speaker Muturi’s directive comes after Garissa Township MP Aden Duale, who had sought his intervention claiming that Mr Yatani had not honoured invitations to appear before the House committee on Finance and National Planning to explain the expenditure.
The money was to be used to mobilise food, water and other provisions to families affected by drought.
“Let summons be issued for the CS to appear before the committee on Wednesday at 10am,” directed Mr Muturi.
The money was released by the National Treasury on September 10, 2021 to support counties affected by the drought.
The affected counties include Baringo, Kitui, Lamu, Garissa, Wajir, Tana-River, Isiolo, Turkana, West Pokot, Makueni, Marsabit, Samburu, and Mandera. President Uhuru Kenyatta on September 8, 2021 declared the drought affecting parts of the country a national disaster .
The National Treasury and the Ministry of Interior were instructed to spearhead the government’s efforts to assist the affected households including water and relief food distribution as well as livestock uptake.
The United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that lack of rain means that 2.4 million people in Northern region are struggling to find human food as well as livestock’s
Already, the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) estimates that 2.1 million people are facing acute food insecurity and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance in the next six months.
Yesterday Mr Duale told the House that the people and animals in the drought affected countries were dying despite the president having declared the drought a national disaster.
“The people I represent are dying. The rains are not there. This particular minister who is busy in politics should come to this House to answer our questions. He has no choice," Mr Duale said of Mr Yattani.
Mr Duale also wants the CS to confirm whether the funds so far released is a supplementary appropriation under Article 223 of the Constitution.
If so, whether the required Parliamentary approval was sought and granted within the stipulated timelines of two months as provided for under the constitution.
The National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) projects that the situation in these drought ravaged counties could worsen further and affect over 2.4 million people.
The NDMA statistics is based on the fact that the October-December short rains season is forecasted to be below normal in counties.
Mr Duale told the House that Mr Yatani’s failure to appear before the House committee does not augur well for the affected Kenyans.
“He can play his politics but the people he purports to represent in the future are dying. I don’t know whether they will even vote. Their livelihoods are finished,” said Mr Duale.
Mr Yatani was required before the committee chaired by Homa Bay Woman MP Gladys Wanga to provide statistics of how food, water, and animal feed components are being distributed in the affected areas.
The deterioration in the food security situation is also attributed to the dismal performance of the March-May long rains season compounded by the effects of Covid-19 and the poor performance of the previous short rains season.
The drought situation has led to conflict for resources, hampering peace efforts in the region.
For instance, there was a resource-based conflict on the border between Isiolo and Wajir counties where seven people were killed and several others injured.
Disruption of livelihoods
In the current financial year, the National Assembly, in June this year allocated Sh8.9 billion for the climate smart agricultural productivity project, Sh1.1 billion to enhance drought resilience and sustainable livelihood and Sh178.0 million for ending drought emergencies in Kenya.
Further, Sh529.5 million were allocated for the livestock and crop insurance scheme to reduce the vulnerabilities of Kenyan farmers to diseases and natural disasters.
The scheme targets compensation for 100,000 livestock- camel, cattle, sheep, goats in the affected 10 counties.
Under the State Department for Development of Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (Asals), the National Assembly allocated Sh5.8 billion for drought management in the current financial year compromising Sh4.1 billion for Kenya hunger safety net programme targeting 125,850 beneficiary households.
To establish the expenditure of the Sh2 billion released by the National Treasury, Mr Duale wants a comprehensive report including tabulation on total disbursements from July 1, 2021 to date.
The Garissa Township MP also wants the Public Service Cabinet Secretary Prof Margaret Kobia to provide details on the total number of boreholes, water pans, and small dams constructed to address the worsening water situation in Northern Kenya.
“The report should include the total number of people supported per county through cash, food for assets in the drought-affected counties,” says Mr Duale.
