This is evident from how consecutive governments have handled droughts and flooding that occurs almost every year.With the current situation where at least two million people are starving, there is a likelihood that it will happen again despite billions of shillings being spent to address the issue now.Kenya is a country endowed with resources which if well stewarded can project it to a developed country in a few years.However, greed and grand theft have characterised running of government as many individuals seek political and government positions to enrich themselves.This week, President Uhuru Kenyatta declared drought a national disaster much to the chagrin of many Kenyans.
President Uhuru Kenyatta (R) and his deputy William Ruto. Uhuru has declared drought a national disaster. [Photo: ibtimes.co.uk]
Instead of prioritising the issue before it got out of hand, both the President and his deputy have been crisscrossing the country hunting for votes and urging citizens to register to be able to vote in the August election.Voter registration is the emergency!And with the rains expected in a few months, the likelihood is that we will have to declare them a national disaster instead of making sure that we mitigate the effects early to avoid deadly results.Last year, the government set aside several billions of shillings to mitigate against effects of El Nino rains which never really came as expected. The money has not been accounted for despite being wired to the counties.As with the drought now, the possibility is that the government will react instead of having what could cause flooding addressed.
In Nairobi for instance, flash floods tend to be disastrous inconveniencing millions who commute and live in the city.Instead of clearing the drainage systems and fixing what could pose hazards, everything seems to be focused on having Kenyans register as voters. No one seems to be thinking ahead from the national government to the counties.As expected, there will be emergencies and Kenyans will be asked to pool their resources to either support a #KenyansForKenya initiative or like we have currently where we’re being asked to adopt families.Why should I be playing the government’s role when I pay my taxes in time?It is time to rethink leadership and priorities in this country.