By Peter Ochieng
The government has reached out to some families affected by the recent flooding in Nairobi, with a Sh10, 000 stipends to cater for rent payment.
Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Interior and National Administration Kithure Kindiki on Monday said 25,000 households affected by the floods in the Capital, have received Sh10, 000 stipends support from the government.
The remaining 15, 000 families, Kindiki said, are in line to receiving their part of the bargain latest Friday this week.
“The Ministry of Interior is implementing the presidential directive to provide a one-off government support of Sh10, 000 for each of the 40,000 households. Already, 25,000 households have received the pledged government support of Sh10, 000 per household, while the remaining households will receive theirs by close of business Friday, May 31, 2024,” he said.
When he toured Mathare at the height of the floods on May 6, 2024, President William Ruto said his administration would reach out to the affected families with the stipends.
“For all of the 40,000 households that have been evacuated because of their safety, the government will provide a stipend of 10,000 shillings to each household to look for temporary alternative settlements until further guidance by the government.”
Kindiki stated that the government has embarked on the rehabilitation and regeneration process for the Nairobi Rivers riparian reserves urging residents to cooperate.
The CS, while calling for residents support said the government has embarked on the rehabilitation and regeneration process of the Nairobi Rivers riparian reserves.
“The government will pursue to the end the national interest of the reclamation, rehabilitation and regeneration of the Nairobi Rivers riparian reserves without any regard whatsoever for partisan, ethnic or other parochial interests. To prevent re-encroachment, the reclaimed riparian reserves are being fenced and trenched.”
On May 02, 2024, the government issued a mandatory evacuation order to all Kenyans residing in riparian reserves, in a bid to ensure their safety during the heavy rains season.
And Kindiki on Monday directed the police to allow Kenyans living in buildings on riparian land marked for demolition to retrieve their belongings.
“Members of the public must be allowed to vacate structures or premises which are the subject for removal and to retrieve their belongings,” he said.
He insisted that the vacation and mandatory evacuation orders issued on May 2, 2024, were purely in the national interest.