The Raila Odinga-led Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has asked the government to move swiftly and declare the ongoing floods a national disaster.
Following a party retreat in Naivasha on Tuesday, the party's Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna noted that the floods had become a major humanitarian crisis and efforts needed to be stepped up to alleviate the suffering of many Kenyans.
The floods have so far left 110 people dead with at least 20,000 displaced.
Sifuna's sentiments were echoed by Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi who also asked the government to declare floods a national disaster in his piece published in a local daily on Wednesday.
"People have lost their lives and vast amounts of property have been destroyed but we are still waiting for it to be declared a disaster!
[caption caption="Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi"]
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"We haven't witnessed such floods since Independence and it could get worse. At the Coast, more than 70 percent of Tana River county is under water; lives, property and livestock have been washed away," he wrote.
He went on to highlight how dire the situation was in parts of Nyanza and North Eastern as well before affirming that the government was already overstretched.
Kingi noted that if the floods were declared a disaster, more resources would be allocated to disaster management efforts.
"Declaring a national disaster means more resources will be diverted to dealing with flood damage. NGOs and international organisations will lend a hand. Counties and the national government are doing their best, but they are overstretched," the governor wrote.
Kingi called for greater co-ordination noting that as it was, several agencies were handling the disaster on their own.
[caption caption="ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna addressing a past media briefing"]
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