In Kenya, the question of funds allocated to El Niño prevention is causing controversy. For the past ten days, the country has been suffering from torrential rains that have caused major flooding, particularly in the eastern coastal regions.
In September, the government announced that 10 billion shillings (around 60 million euros) would be released to deal with the consequences of this climatic phenomenon. But the governors of the affected regions are contesting this.
This duel is played out in press conferences. On November 22, 2023, the Board of Governors stated that it had not received a single shilling to deal with the El Niño phenomenon.
Vice President Rigathi Gachagua’s response was swift: “We are shocked to hear governors complaining that they haven’t received any money for El Niño from the government. Governors are supposed to use emergency funds from their financial provisions and reallocate funds from their budgets to intervene. The government, for its part, has released 2.5 billion shillings [about 15 million euros, editor’s note] and will continue to release funding in the future.”
The Board of Governors, meanwhile, estimates that the government owes the various counties 62.5 billion shillings, or around 375 million euros, just for the regular budget from September to November.
Ahmed Abdullah, Governor of Wajir County in the north-east of the country, says: “To date, not a single county has received any money to respond to the consequences of El Niño. Governors should not be intimidated. They should be supported. They shouldn’t be pitted against people or against each other. Governors are not in competition.”
According to the authorities, the floods have already killed around 50 people and affected almost 80,000 homes.