Kenya’s Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has said that the national government will not provide funds for flood response efforts, as the country battles one of its worst floods in recent years.
The announcement comes after the governor of Mombasa, one of the counties most impacted by the ongoing floods, disputed Mr Gachagua’s earlier claim that the government had sent counties 10bn Kenyan shillings ($65m;£52m) for flood response.
Last week, flash floods killed at least 13 people in Mombasa and three neighbouring counties.
“We are shocked to see governors complaining that they are yet to receive money for El Nino from the national government; such money is not coming,” Mr Gachagua said on Wednesday.
“We expect them to use emergency money within their financial provision or reallocate money within their budget to intervene for the people they govern”.
The Kenya Red Cross has updated the country’s total flood-related death toll to 71.
The ongoing heavy rains and flooding – which are due to the El Niño weather phenomenon – have killed 130 people across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, according to the non-profit Oxfam.