At least 15 people have been killed so far since heavy rains started lashing across the country. Kenya Red Cross has advised people in east and central regions to move to higher ground because of the flood risk. Two dams in Kenya are close to overflowing because of heavy rains, threatening the lives of thousands of people. According to its report, 200,000 people are already displaced because of flooding and are now staying in schools or open areas. Meanwhile some major Kenyan roads have been submerged under water making them impassable. A drone shot shared by a local TV station showed a damaged section on Mahi-Mahiu in the south-west where a huge crack that might one day split Africa into two appeared. In Tana River County, 50,000 have had to leave their homes as Tana River splits its banks.
Comment:
Incidents of flash floods in every long rainy season (March- May) resulting into loss of lives and properties worth millions of shillings have become recurring phenomena. This situation is the same even in short rainy season (October-December). Despite warning from the Kenya Meteorological Department that the country will experience a continuous heavy down pour, the business in the Government is as usual thus demonstrated nothing other than counting the losses of properties and lives!
Ironically, in the ongoing fifth Annual Devolution Conference, senators and governors among the 6,000 delegates are discussing President Uhuru’s Big Four Agenda among them infrastructure, Urban Development, Land and Housing. More ironical, it is argued that since its inception five years ago, the devolution system of governance has recorded significant milestones in many functions like water and roads. Yet despite heavy rains, water rationing is to continue as announced publicly by Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company. Roads become swimming pools even with light rain!
It is in public domain that before mentioning natural disasters and lack of disaster preparedness from government officials, we have already numerous man-made disasters. The local authorities have approved construction of houses under electric power lines or close to petroleum pipelines in cities. The Government does nothing except waiting the disasters to happen and then starts wailing and complaining, and accuse the people of negligence and puts forth arguments that are weaker than a spider’s thread, abdicating their responsibilities towards people.
Often when such calamities occur, they reveal the true nature of the problematic capitalist ideology and its ruling systems of not giving priority to the public interests. Apparently the governments within the corrupt capitalist system are not concerned with their own citizens nor do they care for their welfare at all. Islam as an ideology has defined the responsibility of taking care of the public affairs as that of the government and not individuals or private organizations. Hence, the Islamic state, al-Khilafah, is fully committed in taking care of the affairs of the people. As for tragedies like floods and earthquakes, the Khaleefah is entitled to utilize funds from the treasury (Baitul Mal) to tend to the affected people and this is his responsibility to the public and not a favor. If it happens that there are no funds in the state treasury, then the Khalifah will be forced to levy the rich a specific amount to compensate for such a situation. This is how the Khilafah is expected to take care of the interests of its citizens without regard to religion, colour or region.
Shabani Mwalimu
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in Kenya