Treasury Registrar hands 2bn/- for victims of Katesh mudflow

This affirmation was given in receiving a dummy cheque for 2bn/- from Treasury registrar Nehemia Mchechu, being contributions from 270 public institutions to help the disaster victims.

The houses will be built with the donations being collected from development stakeholders including public entities, the private sector, businessmen and various individuals, she said.

Up to 107 households that had 322 residents are confirmed to have been destroyed or extensively damaged Katesh town and Gendabi peri-urban settlement from the mud flow after heavy rains the previous weekend.

Obtaining domestic equipment, food and healthcare follow up are key services included in the use of the funds, as the mudflow victims are going through the pains of losing family members and property.

With the donations, nothing will stop the government from quick implementation of the housing construction programme for the disaster victims, hinting that cost-effective houses requiring 25m/- to 30m/- will be built rapidly to restore routine family life.

She praised public institutions for handing that amount, noting that it is an indication that they are improving in their operations and able to fulfill their role of serving the community.

Saying that public organizations must be in touch with what is happening in society to serve the public, she also thanked the private sector and all those who showed patriotism, unity and cooperation. It helped the country to solve the challenge without heavily relying on foreign aid, she said.

The president castigated the habit of throwing waste in drainage canals as it causes flooding when it rains, instructing the district and regional authorities to control this tendency.

People need to build a culture of listening and acting on alerts issued by government agencies especially about rain, not waiting until they are hit by disasters and being compelled to seek assistance, as it can’t always work, she stated.

"There are people in the valleys. We asked them to leave early; they have stayed in the valleys until they are reached by the floods,” she remarked, noting that if they are reached by the floods they will start blaming the government if aid is not forthcoming.

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said that until yesterday morning, deaths resulting from the disaster had reached 87, with those injured standing at 139. Thirty of them are in hospital and others have been discharged, he said.

"There are 19 people at the Manyara regional referral hospital in Babati for advanced treatment, eight at Tumaini District Hospital, as well as three at the Gendabi Health Center. They are all doing well, and we have an expected referral to the Muhimbili National Hospital and regional hospitals,” he stated.

An assessment using electronic systems and the 2022 Population and Housing Census data indicated that 107 households were destroyed, where 322 people were staying.

The data will be used to to find out the value of properties ​​lost in the disaster, including livestock, to facilitate issuing of compensation, which has to involve tenants who lost relatives and property.

The government will not hesitate to take action at any time against anyone who embezzles money or other contributions intended for the victims, he had insisted.