• Oguna said 11,000 livestock have been lost due to the floods with crops in the farms being destroyed.
• He said the government has supported all the affected people countrywide by supplying them with food, tents and also medical support.
Image: COURTSEY
Government Spokesperson Cyrus Oguna has said the government will spend Sh1 billion to respond to the impact of floods countrywide.
Oguna said the ongoing heavy rains in the country has affected 350,000 people out of which 16,700 have been rendered homeless.
He said last weekend's landslide left 1,500 people homeless in West Pokot county.
Oguna was speaking at Kapenguria town in West Pokot on Thursday, giving updates on the ongoing situation in the country.
"Kiwango cha pesa kinachohitajika ili kuweza kupeana msaada kwa watu wote walioadhirika kutoka pembe moja hadi nyingine ni shilingi bilioni moja na milioni hamsini na mbili,(the amount of money needed in order to help victims affected by the floods countrywide is Sh1 billion)" Oguna said.
He said 36 bodies have so far been recovered in West Pokot landslide with five more missing and that the majority of the victims in West Pokot landslides were youths.
Oguna said that 118 people have lost their lives across the country due to the floods.
He said the team on the ground have compiled comprehensive statistics of the people affected and those who have lost their lives.
He said 11,000 livestock have been lost due to the floods with crops in the farms being destroyed.
Oguna said the government has supported all the affected people countrywide by supplying them with food, tents and also medical support.
The government spokesperson said officials from the Kenya National Highways Authority have been carrying out access across the country to check the situation of the affected roads before starting to repair them.
The government has also confirmed that a total of 108 people have lost their lives across the country due to the heavy rains.
The Interior CS Fred Matiang'i was forced to cancel his plans to the area on Monday due to the bad weather.
The CS'S chopper landed at the Eldoret Airstrip and that he was to proceed to Kapenguria if the weather would improve. He, however, came back to Nairobi.
The cabinet secretaries were also accompanied by the Police Inspector General Hillary Mutyambai.
West Pokot residents criticised the government on Wednesday for the slow response in helping victims affected by Saturday's landslide.
On Wednesday, area governor John Lonyangapuo received a consignment of food and non-food items from donors. The donation came from Al Khair Foundation, Kape matt, the business community and churches.
The aid was immediately dispatched to Mwino and Parua villages where the landslide occurred.