Bill to save lives gathers dust in Parliament one year later

The number of lives recently lost in disasters across the country could have been reduced if the National Assembly passed a Bill in the House.

Yesterday, it emerged that the Disaster Bill has been before the National Assembly since last year.

The matter falls under the Ministry of Interior, under which the National Disaster Operations Centre (NDOC) operates, and the Ministry of Devolution, where the Department of Special Programmes lies.

The situation is complicated by the devolving of disaster management to counties, leaving the mandate of co-ordination to the national government.

"At the national level, we only step in to assist counties when the disaster is beyond the counties' capacity and there is need for intervention,” said a senior official at NDOC who declined to be named.

The Government however declined to allocate a Sh4.4 billion contingency fund to counties to manage disasters.

Even with the setting up of NDOC in 1998 following the adverse effects of El Nino rains, Kenyans continue to bear the brunt of flooding and other disasters.

The agency says it is not to blame.

“The delayed consideration and passage of the Disaster Bill is a contributor to the happenings. The Bill has been lying in the National Assembly since last year. It addresses the issue of funding and response chains,” said the NDOC official.

Under the current budget, the Ministry of Devolution was allocated Sh8.9 billion, while the Ministry of Interior received Sh130 billion.

In the supplementary budget, the National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee chaired by Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa approved Sh300 million to address flooding.

Despite these huge amounts, pundits question the level of preparedness despite regular updates by the weatherman.

Yesterday, Senator Rose Nyamunga (nominated) faulted the Government’s disaster preparedness, arguing that the President was not direct in his commitment to dealing with emergencies.

“The Government should be able to mitigate against such occurrences and save the people untold sufferings. Many people are affected by floods despite the budgetary allocation. This is life and death,” said Ms Nyamunga.

"It's high time the Government took this matter seriously. In Nyando, for example, flooding has been happening for over 50 years. If we addressed flooding in Budalang'i, then it can be done. Allocating money is not enough," she said.

Senator Irungu Kang'ata (Murang’a) called for compensation for affected families.

“The relevant ministries should ensure that the affected families are compensated and the deaths and destruction do not happen again,” said Mr Kang'ata.

In the counties, disaster response committees are chaired by governors.

Disaster response

In Wednesday's case, county officials said devolving disaster response helped save lives.

"This is why the county was able to respond promptly to the tragedy,” said Beatrice Obwocha, the Nakuru communication director.

In his speech to senators and Members of Parliament early this month, President Uhuru Kenyatta acknowledged the establishment of the committees in the counties.

“The Government committed Sh1.8 billion in emergency cash assistance for 13 counties most affected by drought during the reporting year. Through the initiative, an estimated Sh1.8 billion was disbursed through mobile money transfers,” said the President.

He said the Government was actively involved in disaster mitigation in the counties.

“The Government implemented the Cash/Food for Assets programme at a cost of Sh165 million, which benefited 750,000 people. Other initiatives included the Drought Contingency Fund Project (DCFP), which cost Sh1.3 billion including 553,009 disbursed to support counties to enhance response to drought.”