15 dead and 50,000 rescued from floods

Maai Mahiu Secondary School was cut off after floods washed away a bridge linking it to the Maai Mahiu/Narok road on Wednesday evening. Students were stranded at the school for hours. Photo/NATION

Seven school children are among 15 people who have drowned in the last two days as heavy rains continue to wreak havoc across the country.

They were swept away by floods on their way to school, many of which have been ordered closed. Read (Boy saves villagers from killer floods)

This came as more than 50,000 people in three villages in Elgeyo-Marakwet County were asked to leave their homes for fear of landslides.

A team of geologists from the Ministry of Lands toured Kittony, Embobut and Kakisoo villages and directed residents to leave as the heavy rains had eroded the grounds, raising the chances of a landslide.

Two years ago, 15 people were killed in Kittony village and many other injured in a landslide.

Relief agencies warned on Thursday the heavy rains had displaced more than 50,000 people, and destroyed property worth millions of shillings.

In Malindi, about 90 families that had been marooned by floods in Madunguni since Tuesday were rescued on Thursday by the provincial administration and the Red Cross.

An 11-year-old class four pupil drowned after a motorcycle taxi he was riding on was swept away by a swollen river in Hamisi district.

Five people, among them three children, died in separate incidents in Central Kenya.

A seven-year-old boy slipped on a footbridge at Kawamaitha River in Kinangop on his way home from school, while a Form Three student was swept downstream by raging floods as he crossed a footbridge in Laikipia West district.

A Form Two at Kiserian Secondary School in Marigat district became the third victim of the rains in Baringo county.

Paul Sikamoi, 16, was crossing Arabal River to school when he fell into the waters.

Marigat District Education Officer Adelaide Mbakali asked parents not to allow their children to cross swollen rivers.

“We also caution parents against leaving their children to go to rivers unattended to stop more drowning deaths during this rainy season,” said Ms Mbakali.

In Meru, a nursery school pupil drowned in Mutonga River Gikui location. The girl was crossing a makeshift bridge that links Keeria and Mutonga villages in Igoji when she slipped.

“The young girl slipped and fell off the bridge on Wednesday at around 6.30 pm. The elder sister tried to rescue her but the raging waters overpowered her and a search party recovered the body two kilometres away from the scene of the accident,” said Igoji ward councillor John Kireria

In Nyamira, two people drowned in separate incidents. In the first case Oboso Ongechi of Nyabichuki village in Ikobe sub-location died in Ting’a dam in Nyamira South on Wednesday evening.

He is said to have slipped into a disused quarry on his way home from a drinking spree.

“More than five people have drowned in the dam during the rainy season. We have on several occasion asked the Ministry of Roads to refill the dam but there has been no response despite it claiming at least a life each year,” said area councillor Henry Nyang’aya.

In the other incident, a body of a man was found on the banks of River Gucha in Nyabigege sub-location.

Nyamira deputy police boss Dishon Chadaka asked residents to help identify the man who is in his early 40s.

At the same time, more than 10 primary and secondary schools in Narok North district are yet to open for the second term after classrooms were submerged in water.

The floods have cut off schools in the swampy Suswa area. The district education officer Kuyo ole Sowoinah said if the rains continue more schools are likely to be closed.

Meanwhile, 31 families in Kandara district have been displaced after a landslide destroyed about 300 metres of land.

“We have entered into a mutual agreement with the 31 families that they seek refuge in their relatives’ homes even as we monitor the situation,” the district commissioner, Mr Kennedy Sese, said.

Reported by Henry Nyarora, Francis Mureith, Wycliff Sang, James Kariuki, Benson Amadala, Sandra Chao and Kennedy Kimathi