(MIGORI, KENYA) – A Member of the Migori County Assembly (MCA) has raised concerns over the distribution of relief food meant for residents affected by emergencies, ahead of expected heavy rains in September and October in Migori County.
Samson Obonyo, the MCA, said the Meteorological Department had issued an alert over expected El Niño rains in the coming months. He warned that areas such as Kadem in Nyatike Sub-County, which are prone to floods, should be well prepared.
He said the county had allocated KES 44.2 million ($305,000 / £239,000) in the 2026/27 financial year budget for emergency preparedness and response.
Obonyo said that the county government, through the Department of Environment, had purchased relief supplies. These included 500 bags of maize, 900 bags of rice, 500 bags of sugar, and 500 bundles of wheat flour, among other non-food items.
However, he alleged that the relief supplies had been distributed to churches instead of being reserved for residents who may be affected by emergencies.
“I am shocked because there is no emergency in those churches that would warrant the governor to release relief food meant for emergencies,” Obonyo said.
He called on investigative agencies to probe the alleged distribution of the relief supplies and establish whether the funds and food were used for their intended purpose.
The MCA said vulnerable residents in areas prone to flooding and other effects of heavy rains could be left without essential supplies if the county exhausted its emergency stocks before the rains arrived.
Obonyo further raised concerns over an alleged delay in payment of county employees. He said he had received communication indicating that July salaries could be delayed because the county budget had not been uploaded.
He questioned how the delay could occur after the county had passed a budget amounting to about KES 12.4 billion ($85.5 million / £67 million).
The MCA urged the county administration to clarify the situation and ensure county workers receive their salaries on time.
Obonyo also called for proper accountability in the management of public resources, particularly funds set aside for emergency response. He said residents should be the primary beneficiaries of such programmes.