Ksh.300M spent to re-settle those evicted from riparian land, Ruto says

According to Ruto, the government has spent more than Ksh.300 million to provide an alternative shelter to those relocated from the riverbeds. 

“We have had to relocate 27,000 people from riparian reserves. We have spent close to Ksh.300 million to make sure that people who have been relocated have alternative places to stay. We still have another 30,000 that we are processing so as to relocate them,” remarked Ruto during the National prayer breakfast on Thursday. 

The relocation exercise has seen houses in areas such as Mathare demolished, with residents being compelled to seek an alternative shelter.  

The demolitions have attracted uproar from sections of the public, with home owners claiming that bulldozers have caught them unawares in their houses, leading to injuries and deaths. 

Estimates from the National Treasury indicate that Kenya will need Ksh.2 billion to build and repair key infrastructure that were damaged as a result of the heavy rains. 

Appearing before the National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee on May 28, Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo, a further Ksh.1.8 billion will be allocated in the 2024 - 2025 budget for the restoration of school infrastructure.

In a May 16 report, government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said the floods had claimed 291 lives across the country. 

Mwaura further detailed that 55,631 households had been displaced, affecting approximately 278,155 Kenyan citizens.