Text of report by Kenyan TV on 20th January

President Daniel arap Moi chaired a meeting of the national disaster committee at his Harambee House office [Nairobi] today [20th January].

The meeting reviewed the worsening situation across the country as a result of the effects of the El Nino weather conditions which have caused extensive damage to the road infrastructure, crops and livestock as well as the loss of life in the affected areas.

The government assures Kenyans that everything possible will continue to be done to contain the situation.

Recent preliminary forecasts indicate that the current adverse weather conditions may continue well into the middle of this year. Kenyans should therefore be prepared for continued disruption of economic activities for a longer period than was initially anticipated towards the end of 1997.

It is for this reason that the government has set up a 24-hour operational centre in the Office of the President which will strengthen the National Disaster Coordinating Committee.

The government has also strengthened the existing district disaster committees and charged them with the responsibility of the immediate management of disaster situations in their areas of jurisdiction.

The committees will link up with the 24-hour operation centre for support.

The government has also embarked on the rehabilitation of the damaged infrastructure.

As of today, normal traffic flow to and from Mombasa has been restored following repairs to Kambu bridge, contrary to alarmist reports carried in a daily newspaper today.

Other government responses have ranged from the evacuation of people to the provision of essential supplies and logistical support.

For instance, the government has delivered more than 8,000 metric tonnes of maize and over 700 metric tonnes of beans to flood victims in the affected zones.

The government is in the process of procuring and distributing 200,000 bags of maize, 300 t of beans as well as other assorted foodstuffs. In addition, the government has provided over 60 metric tons of assorted drugs, sufficient for the needs of the affected people in the next two months.

The government has also provided vehicles, aircraft and boats to move supplies to the affected areas besides evacuating people from danger zones. Indeed, the teachers and students stranded in Moyale, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa and Marsabit [northeast Kenya] will be airlifted to their destinations today and tomorrow as directed by the president.

As a continuing exercise, the government is reassessing the flood situation to determine and prioritize needs of various areas in the country which have been badly affected by the current weather.

In the meantime, it has been established that some 300,000 Kenyans are in dire need of:

1. Food and medicine;

2. Rehabilitation of infrastructure;

3. Assistance of both air and surface transportation; and

4. Temporary shelter material.

The international community is welcome to assist in any of these areas.

The government is closely monitoring the situation and reassessing needs, details of which will be made available as soon as the exercise is complete.

Source: KBC TV, Nairobi, in English 1800 gmt 20 Jan 98

BBC Monitoring(http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk), based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.
 

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