Wajir Governor says mixed signals from Met department hindered El Nino preparedness

Abdullahi who also serves as the Council of Governors (CoG) vice chair, claimed that the Met department gave inconsistent updates, leading to a lack of urgency in preparedness efforts.

“The early warning system that we rely on is the meteorological department that is giving mixed signs. When the media hypes the same, yes, it scared away a lot of pre-preparedness that we could have done,” the Governor said.

Speaking on Citizen TV’s Daybreak program early Wednesday, the Governor also said the disruption in coordination meetings with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua also hindered pre-preparedness initiatives.

Moreover, Abdullahi addressed concerns about the mismanagement of funds allocated for addressing the impacts of El Niño. 

He disclosed that discussions with the Deputy President, had outlined a budget of Ksh.15 billion from the National Government, but rumors of potential misappropriation hindered effective planning.

The governor also underscored the security implications of the floods in the North Eastern region, citing increased insecurity due to cross-border clan conflicts and heightened activity by groups like al Shabaab.

“During the drought period we had cross border clan conflicts between communities in Wajir and Isiolo and then immediately after when we had the recent rains, there was al Shabaab activity and movement because they find it easier to camouflage when it’s wet,” he stated.

Ecopreneur Kalua Green echoed the governor's sentiments, expressing disappointment in the government's response to the crisis in Northern Kenya. 

Dr. Green emphasized the need for equitable development and criticized the lack of essential infrastructure, such as dams.

“The people of Northern Kenya deserve more and better, and we are treating them badly. I say ‘we’, because the Government is us. Development should be well distributed; it should not be a situation where they do not have a single dam. It’s ungodly,” he remarked.

Furthermore, Dr. Green highlighted communication challenges within the meteorological department, citing instances where conflicting statements from authorities led to confusion among the affected population.

“The president said that there is no El Niño and people who had just moved out of a specific area had to come back and some of them lost their lives and properties,” he said.

Adding to the discussion, Secretary General of Kenya Red Cross, Dr. Ahmed Idris, acknowledged the strain on resources but assured that aid delivery to affected populations would continue.

He called for a more efficient, unpacked approach to disaster risk management, emphasizing the need for a clear delineation of responsibilities between the national and county governments.

“We have a coordinated approach of sharing responsibilities in which disaster risk management is a shared function between the County and National Government,” he said.

“What that means is that there is work that is supposed to be done by the County Government, and when they are not able to, the National government responds. That design constitutionally needs to be unpacked from a preparedness perspective so that we know what to expect from County governments. As we speak, there is a gap.”

Kenya Red Cross reported that 13,473 people in North Eastern regions have been displaced, affecting 26,011 families due to floods associated with El Niño. 

Wajir, Garissa, and Mandera are the most affected counties, with submerged homes and disrupted lives.