By Barbara Owano
NARC Kenya party leader Martha Karua has called for the waiver of government service fees for Kenyans who have lost their property to the recent floods, stating that it is the least the government can do to ease the victims’ burdens.
According to Karua, Kenyans are dealing with a crisis that has been imposed upon them, and their lives are at stake because they have to contend with a flood of immoral government policies, including “an El Nino of taxes.”
“We are standing here today because there has been significantly insufficient intervention by the Ruto administration, which begs the question: what is the point of all those taxes you levy against us if they cannot be seen to be put to use in times of crisis? Meanwhile, there is talk of a new Presidential jet on the floor of the parliament and the proposed Finance Bill 2024, which suggests increasing the price of bread by raising VAT,” Karua said.
While applauding the State for providing a desk at the Nyayo House for flood victims to replace their identity cards, the party leader said the gesture was still insufficient.
- State to use force to evacuate people living in flood prone areas
- 40 guests, several staff members rescued in Masai Mara Camps
“The flood victims have lost everything. We should not lose our humanity, and they should, at the very least, retain their rights and dignity as Kenyan citizens,” she stated.
“The government may not have reached them where the calamity struck, but they should at least ease their burden when they come to seek government services,” Karua added.
She commended the Mathare Social Justice Center for acting as a defender of the voiceless and those who have lost everything.
“They have compiled a list of their neighbors affected by the floods who have lost their livelihoods and dignity,” she said.
The Martha Karua Foundation is also reaching out to community groups across Kenya to coordinate similar efforts to petition for the waiving of fees for document replacement for flood victims.
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