400 families displaced by floods

More than 400 families have been rendered homeless in South Rift and North Rift by floods.

Some 6,000 people in the two regions are in urgent need of relief food after they were displaced by the floods.

“Some of the victims are at risk of contracting water-borne diseases due to the pathetic hygienic conditions,” Kenya Red Cross communications manager Titus Mung’ou said.

A rescue team has been sent to the areas to assess the damage caused and provide relief supplies and medicine to the victims, he said.

“We are collaborating with the Provincial Administration and other humanitarian agencies in providing assistance to the displaced people,” said Mr Mung’ou.

The floods have destroyed more than 500 acres of food crops including wheat, maize, sorghum and vegetables in parts of North Rift and rendered roads impassable.

Harvesting going on

“The heavy rains have made it impossible for machines to move on the farms and harvest the ready wheat crop,” said a farmer from Moiben, Mr Jackson Kipkosgei.

Harvesting of this season’s wheat is going on in other parts of North Rift, including the larger Uasin Gishu and Keiyo districts.

“Several hectares of wheat are likely to rot on the farms, subjecting us to heavy losses unless the ongoing heavy rains subside,” said a farmer from Sergoit, Mr Joseph Kurui.

Wheat farmers in the region were expecting a bumper harvest this season due to favourable weather conditions this season as opposed to the prolonged drought last year.

A bag of wheat is selling at Sh2,750, up from Sh1,800 last year.

The price is expected to increase due to a projected decline in wheat production globally.

About 90 people were killed and more than 150,000 others displaced early this year by torrential rains in various parts of the country.

The North Rift recorded 45 deaths, while a woman died after she drowned in River Kiminini, Trans Nzoia District, last week in fresh floods.

Caused massive damage

The heavy rains are also likely to interfere with the harvesting of maize in the country’s grain basket region of North Rift.

“The rain has caused massive damage to short season crops like beans, sparking food insecurity in some of the families,” said Ms Jane Cheptoo, a horticultural farmer from Cheptonon, Nandi Central District.

But, according to Mr Mung’ou, heavy rains have not been reported in other parts of the country where floods wreaked havoc at the beginning of the year.

Forestry and Wildlife minister Noah Wekesa wants the government to move Kwanza District flood victims.

Dr Wekesa said the victims, who were allocated land by the government under the Settlement Fund Trustee programme in the early 1980s, had been experiencing the problem every year.

Speaking to journalists after visiting flood victims in Namanjalala, Marinda and Sabwani areas in his Kwanza constituency, the minister called on the government to look for alternative land and plant trees in the affected farms.

Camped at trading centre

Last year more than 500 families were displaced by floods in the area and camped at Marinda trading centre and primary school for three months.

Dr Wekesa said more than 300 families had been displaced after River Sabwani burst its banks due to heavy rains the area has been receiving in the past two weeks.