From Left, Tana River Senator, Dan Mungatana, Bura Mp Yakub Adow Kuno and TTana River County MP, Amina Dika addressing the media in Parliament buildings
In an affecting display of unity and concern for their constituents, Tana River legislators, led by Senator Dan Mungatana, County MP Amina Dika, and Bura MP Yakub Adow Kuno, earlier today convened at Parliament Buildings to address the pressing issues of flooding in the region.
The ongoing floods, worsening by poor infrastructure and inadequate government response according to the legislators, have pressed the area into a state of emergency, prompting urgent appeals for immediate action.
Mungatana has lamented the tragic loss of lives due to the capsized boat incident, which claimed over 20 lives with many still missing.
Blaming both the floods and the neglect of crucial infrastructure, he has demanded swift government intervention to prevent further calamities.
“The Government should speed the movement and arrive in Tana River and to help us like any other Kenyans. The overflow of dams has brought disasters in our Tana River area.” Sen Mungatana said.
His emotional plea has underscored the dire need for improved road conditions and better disaster preparedness measures.
He added, “Focus on Tana River, we are not given priority and we have been left behind and the notice to move to higher areas is a short of short notice as there are no clear programs to move to that higher areas as suggested”
Mungatana has stressed the importance of providing sufficient warning to residents facing imminent threats.
He said, “We call for substantial investment in dam construction to mitigate the impact of future disasters, the government should prioritize the safety and well-being of Tana River residents and all Kenyan citizens.”
Echoing Mungatana’s sentiments, Women Representative Amina Dika emphasized the urgent need for long-term solutions to the recurrent flooding and water scarcity issues plaguing the region.
“It’s a sad day for us, our people were swept away, as leaders of the area we’ve noticed that all the time floods happen we’ve been always the victims, we say the government to have a system of water harvesting to curb this menace at all times.” Amina Dika says.
She added, “We need the government to respond by sending the rescue team to salvage the situation and CS Water and sanitation should employ serious curbing measures to stop these situation as life and animals have been lost”
With the looming threat of a cholera outbreak exacerbating an already dire situation, she urged decisive action from relevant authorities to safeguard public health and mitigate the risk of further tragedies.
Meanwhile, MP Yakub Adow Kuno directed scathing criticism at the Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) for its failure to maintain crucial roads, which he attributed to the loss of lives in the recent incidents. Calling for accountability and swift action, he urged caution from citizens during the rainy season and demanded immediate measures to address the root causes of the ongoing crisis.
“The KENHA authority especially in Mororo area should be blamed for the poor emergency response, we’ve tried to reach to you but no response, you’re to be blamed in the past two weeks we’ve faced the same situation” Yakub Adow said.
He adds, “KENHA has shown inefficiency attributed as this is a situation you could have built these roads we should have curbed the situation, KENGEN has to blamed further because as also you’ve not proper sensitization to our people as electricity has killed people, animals and properties lost, you should compensate us too for the damage caused.”
The legislators issued a resounding call to the government to prioritize the welfare of Tana River residents by allocating resources for dam construction and implementing robust disaster management strategies.
As the nation watches with bated breath, the fate of Tana River hangs in the balance, awaiting the swift and concerted efforts of authorities to stem the tide of devastation.
