By Philip Mwakio and Maureen Mudi
President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga will today lead a fundraising meeting in Nairobi to raise money for the victims of the fire that destroyed half of the houses on Faza Island.
Apart from the fundraising, the US has pledged to deploy its military to assist the residents of Faza to rebuild their houses.
In a statement by the Government spokesperson Alfred Mutua, the Government said Kibaki and Raila would lead the main national funds drive at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre.
"Individuals, companies and organisations are urged to participate actively to help our fellow citizens during this time of need," said Mutua.
Fire broke out on the island on Saturday afternoon and gutted several houses before it was contained in the centuries-old settlements on the island. The island is part of the Lamu archipelago in the North Coast.
The fire left more than 2,500 out of the island’s 4,500 population homeless.
On his part, the US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger said his government would offer assistance. Speaking in Mombasa during an Iftaar dinner he hosted for a group of Muslim faithful, Ranneberger said his government has previously undertaken development programmes on Faza Island.
"We believe some of the projects we undertook were destroyed. We are looking at the possibility of sending military assistance to try and help in rehabilitation," the envoy said.
Assisting the displaced
Several individuals and companies have moved in to assist the displaced, which have been spending nights on cold floors of mosques and a secondary school.
The Prime Minister, while touring the area on Monday, launched Faza Fire Disaster Fund, through which financial support is to be channeled.
We learnt that several ministries are mobilising their staff to contribute to the Faza Fire Disaster Fund.
Staff members in Kenya’s 48 foreign missions abroad are expected to send contributions to the Faza Fire Disaster Fund after Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Thuita Mwangi made an appeal, through a ministry circular.
The circular also appealed to the thousands of staff at the ministry headquarters in Nairobi to contribute to the account.
It is expected that the makuti-thatched houses, which led to the fast spreading of the fire, will be replaced with iron sheet roofing to reduce risks of damage.
During the dinner at the Muslim Luhar Wadha Jamat Hall, Ranneberger said the US Embassy plans to reach out to religious groupings to organise an interfaith service.
"We will use this occasion to jointly identify priority projects on which we can collaborate," he said.
He explained the idea is US President Barack Obama’s brainchild and he wants to pursue it.
Ranneberger said the partnership between Kenya and the US is based on shared democratic values, including respect for the rule of law and diversity.
