National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale has criticized Kenya Red Cross for appealing to Kenyans for funds to mitigate the current drought situation in thirteen counties.
According to Duale, Red Cross had failed to account for billions they raised during the previous droughts.
On Thursday Last week, Red Cross Secretary-General Abbas Gullet appealed for Ksh.824,554,720 in funds to help provide humanitarian assistance to 1.1 million people affected.
Speaking in Garissa on Sunday, Duale said Gullet’s move is ill advised.
“My friend Abbas Gullet should abandon the M-Pesa pay bill for Kenyans to raise funds. In the last drought we raised billions of shillings and to date he has not explained to Kenyans how the funds were used,” Duale said.
“Whenever he (Gullet) sees that there is a drought he calls for a press conference in one of the big hotels in the city to give out M-Pesa bill,” he added.
He claimed that the national government gave the Kenya Red Cross Sh1 billion to construct houses for flood victims in Budalangi, Tana River, Garissa and Meru during last year’s floods but to date none of the projects has seen the light of day.
Instead of burdening Kenyans with Pay Bills, the majority leader has called on the government to investigate how Red Cross spent the Sh1 billion.
He accused some officials leading aid agencies for using calamities to take advantage of Kenyans.
Further, Duale slammed county governments of Turkana, Baringo, Wajir, Tana River, Garissa, Isiolo and Marsabit for doing little to mitigate the current drought situation.
According to him, the counties are among the highest recipient of national government funds annually but have little to show for the funds awarded.
He singled out Turkana county said to be leading with Sh11 billion annually.
“In as much as we want to blame the national government for allegedly doing little to mitigate ion the current drought, the county governments will also take the blame for not allocating enough funds to mitigate on the drought,” he said.
The Majority leader has now affirmed that no Kenyan will contribute to any famine kitty by Red Cross.
The Garissa Township legislator’s sentiments come hours after Kenyans ranted on Red Cross’ appeal for million to mitigate hunger in the regions affected by the ongoing drought situation.
In solidarity, KOT ganged up using the hashtag #RedCrossTumechoka to express their disappointments, saying it’s the responsibility of the state to ensure Kenyans do not starve.
They reprimanded Gullet for milking Kenyans dry during calamities but make no show when it comes to accountability.
“It is high time we united in saying enough is enough. Looters and thieves cannot keep stealing from us in billions under govt watch then request us to donate to RedCross. No. Let them first publish detailed accounts of the 2011,” Mutie Mule said.
Read:From Red Cross To Jubilee Government, Kenyans Breathe Fire Over Famine
“Before Red Cross comes to us with another con game, they must tell Kenyans how they spent the Sh1bn that we contributed. Does he want to build another hotel? Abass Gullet also should come out and tell us who supplies Boma hotel, I hear his wife is biggest supplier.”Reads part of Bel Akinyi tweet.
Moments later, the hashtag #JubileeTumechoka was coined; it trended at number one for the better part of the day.
Some of the netizens who have used the hashtag have attacked the Jubilee government for the problems facing Kenyans.
They blamed the ongoing famine to looters who have milked the country dry.
Local media reports reports indicate that several people have lost their lives in the ongoing drought situation.
However, the government has issued several statements saying there should be no cause for alarm as no Kenyan has lost their life.
A report by the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) blames the rising cases of food insecurity to below-average 2018 short rains, livestock diseases, invasions by pests and intercommunal fights in areas of northern Kenya where pastoral farming is practiced.
“The below-average short rains have slightly increased the food insecure population from 655,800 in August 2018 to the current 1,111,500, with the top 12 counties having a total of 865,300 food-insecure people,” the report states.
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