Kitui County Governor, Charity Ngilu appealed to the national government to assist the county with Sh.1.7 billion to mitigate flood effects.
Speaking on Friday at Masyungwa in Mwingi North, Ngilu said the county lost 34 lives, 24 injured, 213 families affected and over 1, 500 people displaced.
She said the national and county governments had along with the Red Cross given a total of Sh.12 million to support the affected families in the County.
Among intervention materials given to the 213 families, included iron sheets, blankets, mosquito nets, food items and Sh.2, 000 for subsistence.
Speaking at the event, Devolution CS, Eugene Wamalwa lamented that Kitui was among the 32 counties that experienced serious flooding in the country.
Wamalwa said displaced families will receive humanitarian assistance to support their livelihoods.
The CS said the National Youth Service will buy the green grams (Ndengu) produced by the Kitui farmers to provide them with a ready market.
Wamalwa said the government will ensure that Ndengu is introduced into the school menu under the school feeding programme to make the lunch meal nutritious.
He thanked the county residents for electing a woman as their leader who has since revolutionized leadership.
Wamalwa was optimistic that Thwake Dam would support over 100, 000 acres to be put under irrigation and help the county to become a bread basket of the country, thus addressing the perennial need for relief food.
“The people of Kitui County will no longer rely on relief assistance from the national government once the dam is operational,” said Wamalwa.
He reiterated the government’s resolve to develop the mining sector in Kitui County to benefit its residents through employment of the youth.
By Yobesh Onwong’a
