The national government has been asked to release the Sh5 billion allocated for El Nino disaster response in the counties.
Muhoroni MP Onyango K’Oyoo said victims affected by floods due to the ongoing El Nino rains are suffering and called for the release of the funds.
He urged the Treasury to stop withholding the money yet floods have wrecked havoc in Kisumu, Turkana, Mombasa and Narok counties.
K’Oyoo asked county and national governments to avail drugs and mosquito nets to the flood victims to prevent disease outbreak.
He spoke during a funds drive at Muhoroni Catholic church on Saturday where he and lawyer Tom Okundi raised Sh3.5 million in aid of the church.
K’Oyoo said most of the families had their houses marooned with some completely destroyed.
He also expressed fear over the looming hunger after thousands of acres crops were swept away by floods.
More than 2,700 families and at least 1,300 people have been displaced by floods in Kisumu.
In Nyakach sub county, 500 people were displaced at Gem Rae and 400 each in West Nyakach and Nyakwere while 640 families were displaced in Nyando sub county.
“These families require shelter, food, medicine and non-food items to support themselves,” he said.
K’Oyoo said counties have not received part of the Sh5 billion that was set aside for El Nino forcing them to use the little funds they have to mitigate the effects of floods.
He noted that the damage caused by river Nyando after it broke its banks is great and requires the intervention of the national government.
K’Oyoo also questioned how Kisumu county government spent the Sh70 million allocated for flood mitigation.
He challenged the county executive to explain how the fund was used yet flood victims are languishing.
“What is the essence of hiring a chopper to assess the flood situation while those displaced lack food, shelter and medication,” K’Oyoo said.
Governor Jack Ranguma recently said they have distributed food and non-food items to families affected by the floods.
He distributed 186 bags of maize, 150 bags of beans and 2,000 blankets to 2,250 people displaced by floods in Nyakach, Muhoroni, Nyando and parts of Kisumu East sub-counties.
He said out of the Sh70 million, the county have de-silted major rivers and streams which normally break their banks during rainy seasons, Ranguma said.
Ranguma said the county had also reinforced dykes recently but was quick to point out that they are responding to damages caused by floods to people by ensuring that they meet their basic needs.