Official orders closure of camps set up by fake flood victims

County authorities have ordered closure of all camps accommodating people said to be victims of floods.

County Commissioner Isaiah Nakoru accused locals of taking advantage of floods to set up camps in order to benefit from relief supplies by the Government and NGOs.

He told Tana Delta Sub-County Disaster Management Committee to identify genuine victims who will be assisted then close all camps.

Last week, Nakoru visited a camp in Kibusu off Malindi-Garsen road, where some of the said flood victims confessed they had been told they would get relief supplies only if they moved into camps.

An elderly man confessed that residents were in the camps only to get Government supplies.

There were no signs that anybody had been living at the camp even though the man insisted he had slept there for two weeks.

It emerged that locals would only stay at the camp during the day before returning home at night.

"Although our homes were not affected, our farms have been submerged and we have lost all crops. For us to receive help from the government and other organisations, we were advised to set up this camp," another resident told Nakoru.

However, Nakoru told them to destroy the structures then report the loss of their crops to authorities where they would be assisted.

"I visited the camps after report 38,000 people had been displaced by floods. However, these people should stop embarrassing the government by camping along roads," he added.

He visited another camp inside the Tana Delta Irrigation Project at Gamba where women were busy roofing their structures.

The camp looked genuine as there were beds and other household items inside the temporary shelters.

Kipini West MCA Musa Wario urged the Government to help some 2,500 people said to have been marooned by floods.

Wario said the floods washed away over 1,000 acres of farmland under maize and water melons in Konemasa and Chara. Residents were also displaced after 10 villages were marooned.

Meanwhile, Coast Regional Commissioner Nelson Marwa said the Government is ready to deal with famine as drought continues to ravage parts of the Coast region.

Marwa directed the local administrators to supervise distribution of water and relief food in affected areas.

"The Government has already mapped out the most affected areas including Ganze, Mariakani, Kaya Fungo in Kilifi County and Kinango in Kwale and parts of Tana River County," said Marwa.

The administrator appealed to NGOs wishing to help locals with relief supplies to seek direction from his office and those of governors and county commissioners only deserving cases benefit.