Over 1000 displaced as River Tana bursts its banks

Displaced families in their makeshifts structures after raging floods uprooted them from their homes at Malindi ya Ngwena village. PHOTO | GALGALO BOCHA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The floods came days after Kenya Electricity Generating Company Limited (KenGen) had issued flood alert to over 150,000 people living on downstream in Tana River and Garissa Counties.
  • In the past such spillage led to River Tana water level increasing and breaking its banks causing flooding and displacement of people especially in lower Tana Delta.

More than 1000 people have been rendered homeless after raging floods forced them out of their homes in Galole, Tana River County.

The displaced families from Chewani, Wachakone and Malindi ya Ngwena villages in the outskirts of Hola town are now camping in makeshift structures.

The victims were caught unaware after River Tana burst its banks on Thursday night forcing them to move to safer grounds outside their villages.

Farmlands with crops including rice, green peas, maize and bananas among others were turned into huge swamps with owners only accessing using canoes.

The floods came days after Kenya Electricity Generating Company Limited (KenGen) had issued flood alert to over 150,000 people living on downstream in Tana River and Garissa Counties.

In a public notice, KenGen Operations Manager, Eastern Hydros Francis Kawa asked the residents to take precautionary measures due to spillage of Masinga and Kiambere dams due to heavy rainfall upstream over the last four days.

In the past such spillage led to River Tana water level increasing and breaking its banks causing flooding and displacement of people especially in lower Tana Delta.

Mr Kawa said the heavy rains have been unprecedented hence culminating into filling up of all its reservoirs in the cascade.

A village elder, Ali Oddo, peaking in Lwambalani, said the flood waters came suddenly, making it difficult for the residents to salvage their household goods.

He appealed to the government and well-wishers to urgently provide food and non-food items to them saying most of them have lost homes, crops and livestock.

The residents expressed their concern about possible disease outbreak including malaria and cholera due to within their makeshift structures.

Chewani Senior Chief Athman Mtolee and Tana Delta sub-county administrator Mike Kimoko urged locals to move quickly to higher grounds instead of waiting to be marooned in their villages.