Gachagua says Ksh.4B drought fund is too little for Northern Kenya

Addressing the media at his DCP party offices in Nairobi, Gachagua called on President William Ruto to declare the situation a national disaster, citing 10 counties that are in the red. 

The former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua says the Ksh.4.1 billion monthly expenditure approved Tuesday by Cabinet to deal with the drought situation in close to half of the counties in the country is below the U.N approved standards to help the 3.3 million Kenyans who are starving.

"This translates to Ksh.1,200 per person and is way below the minimum UN food basket valued at Ksh.2,700," Gachagua stated.

The DCP party leader called out the wastage and plunder in government as Kenyans weather the biting drought.

"In an expose recently, the Office of the Deputy President spent Ksh.300M in choppers. I found out trucks of blankets, maize and beans in Nyandarua County being taken for campaigns. Those should be taken to northern Kenya," he noted. 

Gachagua called on President William Ruto to declare the situation a national disaster.

"William Ruto must declare the drought in northern Kenya a national disaster," he added.

The DCP leader stayed on the path of his onslaught on President William Ruto and North Eastern leaders for failing to address the situation, claiming the President had turned State House Nairobi into a UDA headquarters.

"It is no longer a national institution which looks after the people of Kenya. It is now a UDA HQ for elections. State House is a campaign scene. He is going to the north to sanitize those leaders who have failed," Gachagua remarked.

President Ruto is Wednesday expected to embark on a three-day tour of northern Kenya. One of the first events will be a Nyota disbursement forum in Garissa County.