Four killed in floods mayhem

A woman walks through a flooded shamba in central Gwassi on April 22, 2012 where flash floods destroyed farms and property. Photo/JACOB OWITI

What you need to know:

  • Search on for seven missing people, crops destroyed after downpour

Four people died and hundreds were left homeless in flash floods across the country.

Three people were killed after a heavy downpour in Gwassi, Homa Bay County at the weekend.

Seven others are missing.

Kenya Red Cross officials and Administration Police retrieved the three bodies as rains continued pounding Suba District.

“A search for the seven missing residents of Magunga and Kobar villages is still going on,” a dispatch from the Red Cross said.

In Wiga Valley, East Gwassi, the flood waters swept away houses, crops and livestock, it said.

Separately, a 12-year-old girl drowned while swimming in River Migori on Saturday, bringing to five the number of people who have died due to floods in the area since last Wednesday.

The body was recovered by residents in the raging waters.

At the same time, the search for the four children who died in last week’s flash floods in Gwassi continued.

A heavy downpour on Wednesday destroyed farms in Suba, Rachuonyo South and Ndhiwa districts.

In Kisii County, the heavy rains destroyed five toilets of Ebiosi Secondary School, Nyamache District.

“We have been forced to cut short the holiday remedial classes because we cannot operate without toilets,” said the school’s principal, Mr Enock Makori.

In Maragua, Murang’a County, 15 households suffered when a landslide destroyed their houses in a heavy downpour, the Red Cross said.

A rainstorm blew off roof tops of several houses, in Mlolongo, Machakos County. A number of families were rendered homeless in Syokimau, Beijing Road Phase Three and near Mlolongo Police Station.

The homeless families are camping at Mlolongo Primary School.

Several families living near River Nzoia and Lusumu in Kakamega County suffered heavy losses after floods destroyed their crops and swept away bridges.

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has promised that reconstruction of roads and bridges destroyed by heavy rains will begin immediately the rains subside.

KeNHA chief executive Meshack Kidenda said engineers from the agency had visited various parts of the country to assess the damage caused by the rains.

Reports by Maurice Kaluoch, Jackline Moraa, Otieno Owida and John Shilitsa.