Raila Odinga, the leader of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party, is urging President William Ruto to declare the ongoing heavy floods a national emergency.
This call comes amid reports of significant displacement and loss of life in various parts of Kenya due to the severe weather.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday evening, Odinga encouraged the President to deploy military response units as part of emergency measures to address the damage caused by the floods.
He suggested that these units could help with rescue operations and other emergency responses.
Additionally, Odinga proposed the establishment of an emergency fund to assist those affected by the floods.
He highlighted that opposition-aligned Members of Parliament have already collected a Sh.1 million donation to be presented to the Kenya Red Cross for distribution among flood victims.
“It is our urgent appeal that the President and government hereby declare the floods a national disaster and immediately activate all emergency mechanisms, including military disaster response teams,” Odinga said.
The opposition leader also called on the Nairobi County government, led by Governor Johnson Sakaja, to conduct proper rescue operations in the most affected areas and to ensure support for all victims.
He emphasized that comprehensive search and rescue missions should be launched in response to the flooding, providing affected residents with food, blankets, and medical assistance.
Odinga urged the government to adopt long-term strategies to mitigate the effects of seasonal flooding, stating,
“As a country, we can do better than crying for help when rains come and crying for help again when the rains fail.”
Moreover, Odinga noted that weather forecasts predict continued heavy rainfall, which could exacerbate the current situation.
He stressed the importance of readiness to prevent the disaster from escalating, saying, “It is important to point out that all forecasts show that the rains will be pouring some more tonight and in the coming days, which means the disaster is about to get worse.
Preparedness is key to forestalling a crisis of larger proportions.”
