Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has called on President Ruto to relocate the victims of Embakasi fire victims to the affordable housing projects at Ngara.
The MP said that as for the president, it is only fair if he extended his goodwill by resettling the fire victims in Embakasi to the just completed affordable housing schemes, making them the first to make the project actualised.
The MP accompanied Azimio La Umoja Chief Raila Odinga to Mradi Estate to visit the families of those who suffered the effects of the explosion.
“We only need 300 units of the complete Affordable Housing Schemes at Ngara to cushion the victims of the fire outbreak. Why can’t the government make these victims the first to enjoy such houses as compensation from the national government?” Babu asked.
The MP has also boasted of having singlehandedly contributed a sum of Kshs. 1 million to the victims saying that the government can do better.
He also castigated the Nairobi City County Government for being insensitive to offer the victims substantive support.
He also criticized the County Government for being inhumane by proposing that the victims be moved out of Embakasi Hall.
In his address, the legislator said that the victims will continue staying at the hall until a proper site has been found for them, which according to him, is the affordable housing scheme.
“These people still do not need to be directly exposed to sunlight which will only worsen their condition. It is therefore needed for them to continue staying in the hall until they have fully recovered,” said Sakaja.
The MP went further to attack the County Government accusing them of allegedly using part of the allocated budget to cushion the victims.
“The allocated budget for cushioning the victims from the disaster management is Kshs 250 million. It’s unfortunate and inhuman for the county government to release only Kshs 250,00 of this money,” he said.
He has also said that even the money allocated is not enough to cushion all as only 25 families have benefitted.
The MP furthered that the victims also need to be assured of work after they have healed, saying that throughout their healing process, they should be given salaries.
“While these people are healing, it takes about four months for burns to heal and that means that they are to be out of work for the next six months” he said.
He also requested the County government to emulate other Kenyans who have shown goodwill in standing with the victims by providing food and other material support.
He said that while the victims will be healing, they will need food and that the government should be ready to stand with the citizens who mandated them to be in power.
He dismissed rice and beans that have been given to them saying that it doesn’t account for a balanced diet which is now essential for them to recover.
“We need food for these people. They cannot rely only on rice and beans because they need a balanced diet that will aid in their recovery,” said the MP.
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