Balambala MP Abdi Shurie has expressed his concern over the continual silence by the power generating body KenGen on assisting the residents from Garissa who were affected by spillage that was caused by the dams.
Speaking in Balambala town during the distribution of school bursary checks to secondary schools in the constituency on Sunday, Shurie said one month down the line, KenGen was yet to show any signs of assisting the victims, mostly farmers who hail from his constituency.
“I am a little worried by their continual silence on this matter. They need to be bold enough, admit responsibility and come to the aid of the farmers whose lives and livelihoods they have destroyed,” said Shurie.
He added: “I don’t think it’s fair at all for you to destroy the life and livelihood of someone while trying to livelihood to yourself. I am encouraging them to own up and come up with mechanisms to compensate the farmers,”.
Crops that have been destroyed include maize, cowpeas, onions, tomatoes, kale, pawpaws, watermelons, and bananas.
Kenya Farmers Federation vice chairman Dubat Amey said that if the help does not come fast, the farmers will be greatly inconvenienced.
Last week, area county commissioner Joshua Chepcheing’ said that the national government was collaborating with the county government and Red Cross to come up with ways of assisting the farmers by providing them free seeds and other inputs.
Area governor Ali Korane had a month ago threatened to sue KenGen for compensation for residents whose property was destroyed by flooding.