Ruto Reverses 20-Yr-Old Govt Order, Pumps Ksh100M To Red Cross
The Head of State announced that the government would pledge to support the Red Cross with Ksh100 million...
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President William Ruto on Thursday, April 20 reinstated its budgetary support to the Kenya Red Cross, overturning a government order that froze the support more than two decades ago.
Speaking during the tour of the Kenya Red Cross in South C, Nairobi, the Head of State announced that the government would pledge to support the Red Cross with Ksh100 million beginning the 2023/2024 financial year.
"As the government, we are going to reconsider the decision that was made by the government of Kenya 20 years ago or thereabout not to provide a budget line for the Kenya Red Cross and beginning this year, we will reinstate budgetary support by the Government of Kenya to the Kenya Red Cross beginning with Ksh100 million this year," Ruto announced.
President William Ruto inside an ambulance on April 20, 2023. /STATE HOUSE KENYA
He added that the move has been informed by the huge humanitarian tasks that the Society engages in, particularly the drought crisis
The President noted that the Government will continue supporting the Kenya Red Cross in carrying out its work, especially in disaster and emergency services.
He called upon the partners and donors of the Kenya Red Cross to be part of the journey to support the Society with “multi-year and long-term funding”.
"More than 5.1 million people have been affected by drought, and the Kenya Red Cross continues to perform an admirably responsive and effective service to them," Ruto noted.
Heaping praise on the society, Ruto added that the Red Cross has also played a big role in the provision of cash transfers of more than Ksh1 billion, in support of social protection.
"The cash transfers have enabled vulnerable households affected by drought to meet urgent food and nutritional needs and has supported 4,500 young people," Ruto added.
The President also noted that Kenya Red Cross has strengthened community health systems by investing in capacity building through the training of 88,403 community health promoters on Universal Health Coverage and COVID-19, done in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and also directly by facilitating community health service delivery through 7,049 promoters in 29 counties.
Ruto also appreciated the movement’s critical role since the earliest years of our Republic, adding that Kenya was committed to employing better analysis in designing its humanitarian response to emergencies that will include predictive analysis where future outcomes can be forecasted.
The new approach, the President explained, will ensure that communities are forewarned, hence adequately prepared to respond to disasters, noting that “This will reduce the loss and impact.”
The President lauded the Kenya Red Cross for investing in early warning as well as early action in the event of disasters.
“We must act early in order to avoid devastating impacts on lives and livelihoods. I share your commitment to effective humanitarian intervention and give my undertaking to support the Kenya Red Cross Society to be even more effective," he said.
The Kenya Red Cross recently underwent changes to its top leadership after secretary general Dr Asha Mohammed resigned on Friday, April 14 after three years and four months in office. The board of the society replaced her with Ahmed Idris as the acting Secretary-General.
President William Ruto at the Kenya Red Cross in South C, Nairobi on April 20, 2023. /STATE HOUSE KENYA
