Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has revealed that 25,000 out of the 40,000 households evicted due to floods in Nairobi have received ksh 10,000 from the government.
In a statement on Monday, May 27, Kindiki said the government will give the remaining 15,000 households money by Friday, May 31, 2024.
“The Ministry of Interior and National Administration is implementing the Presidential directive to provide a one-off Government support of Ksh.10,000 for each of the 40,000 households affected by the orders to relocate from the Nairobi Rivers riparian corridor.
“Already, 25,000 households have received the pledged Government support of Ksh.10,000 per household, while the remaining households will receive theirs by close of business Friday, May 31, 2024,” read the statement in part.
CS Kindiki also said the affected households would be given priority in the government’s ongoing affordable housing programme.At the same time, the Interior CS said the government will fence and trench riparian reserves to prevent re-encroachment.
“The exercise of unclogging, draining, and rehabilitating the natural waterways of the rivers is set to commence shortly. Riverine ecosystem trees will be planted and recreational facilities established on both sides of the riparian reserves to be accessed and used by members of the public for free,” Kindiki stated.
He mentioned that the government would utilize paid labour drawn from local communities living along settlements contiguous to the riparian reserves.
Further Kindiki said the relocation exercise has proceeded smoothly and security personnel are under strict instructions not to use violence or otherwise mistreat members of the public.
“The Government will pursue to the end the national interest of the reclamation, rehabilitation, and regeneration of the Nairobi Rivers riparian reserves without any regard whatsoever for partisan, ethnic or other parochial interests,” Kindiki added.
