EAC, ASALs and Regional Development CS Peninah Malonza breaths fire to politicians criticising her ministerial functions
She warned MPs especially from Ukambani to desist from politicizing relief food emergency response and instead concentrate on their legislative duties
Out of 2.8 million people affected by adverse effects of El-Nino rains, 1.6 million people have benefited from cash transfer from emergency response funds domiciled in her Ministry
The Cabinet Secretary for East Africa Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Development Ms Peninah Malonza has told politicians off for criticising her ministerial functions especially distributing relief food to affected families by droughts and El-Nino effects
Speaking after meeting youths from Kitui County, CS Malonza warned Members of Parliament to desist from politicking her Ministry and instead concentrate on their roles of legislative and not harbouring her from performing a call of duty to national government
“I want to thank those criticising me but they should go back and read the functions of my ministry. Emergency response relief is managed and coordinated within my purview. I will not allow anyone to block me from delivering and alleviating people from hunger and other disasters.
I am not concerned with what you do at the National Government Constituency Development Fund [NG-CDF]. I can’t go to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and start performing duties of CS Murkomen. If you want roads constructed in your constituency go look for CS Murkomen not my office,” Malonza asserted
At the same time, CS reiterated that the construction of Umaa Sand Dam in Kitui town which has been allocated over Kshs40 million and Mwania Dam in Mwingi, both are now currently undergoing construction
The projects especially Umaa Sand Dam had been stalled over ten years ago, reassuring people that Thwake Dam in Makueni has also received second phase of funding from government after her intervention
She further warned politicians engaging in corruption deals and harbouring government from delivering to the people that their time is counted and shall be dealt with accordingly in line with the law
Responding to section of legislators from Ukambani who have been alleging that cooking oil and salt has been missing in the relief food distribution, Malonza clarified that such items are not part of the food she’s been donating to El-Nino victims
“We should learn to respect each other, allow Kenya Kwanza Administration under the leadership of President William Ruto do their part instead of politicizing everything!. Those who don’t want vulnerable communities receive relief food are well stable, they don’t know poverty and should keep off,” she added
She said out of 2.8 million people affected by El-Nino effects and another 2.1 million people affected by droughts in eight counties-1.6 million people have benefited from cash transfer programme and relief food programme
“We have reached over 600,000 people by giving them food and another 900,000 people from northern counties are beneficiaries of Kshs 8000 cash transfer programme spearhead by state department of social protection,” she disclosed
The discussion by the youths centred onto youth empowerment, creation of jobs and opportunities as well as construction of boreholes and earth dams to address water shortages in the drought affected regions
Also challenged youths more so graduates to tap into the digital economy opportunities in the public Wi-Fi launched by her ICT counterpart Eliud Owalo and other skills being advertised by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection at the gulf respectively
Malonza assured them that National Drought Management Authority [NDMA] is actively engaged in over 89 percent of the regions and will ensure identification of water projects is done promptly and funded adequately
Some of lower eastern counties particularly Machakos, Makueni and Kitui are also getting some programmes through NGOs in partnership with the National Government to alleviate hunger and drought