Nine dead, hundreds displaced as rains wreak havoc

Nine people have died and hundreds of families displaced as floods continue to wreak havoc in different parts of Nyanza, Western and Rift Valley.

The heavy rains pounding the region left five people dead in Bomet County, two in Bungoma, and one each in Trans Nzoia and West Pokot.

Three bodies of the victims have not been retrieved from Sisei and Kipsonoi rivers in Sotik and Konoin constituencies, respectively, in Bomet, where at least 200 families have been displaced.

“Two male adults suspected to have been drunk drowned while taking a bath at Kipsonoi river,” said Mr Stanley Mutai, the Bomet senior county disaster management officer.

Mr Mutai said divers had been dispatched to retrieve the bodies in the Wednesday midday incident.

Governor Hillary Barchok said his administration will donate foodstuff and iron sheets to the affected families mostly in Chepalungu, Bomet East and Konoin constituencies.

In Bungoma, a sombre mood engulfed residents of Chetambe in Webuye East following the death of a young couple.

Mr Alex Wekesa, 23, and his eight-month pregnant wife, Rachel Nekesa, were found dead on Wednesday morning after their house was submerged following a landslide.

HOMELESS

Their bodies were found in the morning by Mr Bernad Wafula, Wekesa’s brother.

In Trans Nzoai, a 22-year-old boda-boda rider was on Wednesday evening swept away as he crossed Samakoli River.

His uncle, Moses Tumwet Kiptegei, from Salama village said the incident happened at around 7pm.

Dan Kibet Ayeba’s body was found Thursday morning at Cheptargei; it was taken to Kitale County Referral Hospital mortuary.

In West Pokot, a man drowned after his vehicle plunged into River Kotoruk on the Makutano-Kapkoris road in Kapenguria town.

The body of the man identified as Sammy Ruto, a Safaricom engineer, was found a few metres from the bridge early Thursday.

West Pokot deputy police boss Julius Kyumbule said the man was driving from Kapkoris heading to Makutano Township when he lost control.

Many families were also rendered homeless in Namanjalala, Kwanza, Trans Nzoia County, after River Sabwani broke its banks.

About 2,000 residents have been displaced while crops at Sabwani, Maliki, Marinda, Kobos and Buyanzi villages have been destroyed.

“We appeal to the government and well-wishers to come and assist us since we have lost everything,” said Amos Waliaula.

RELIEF FUND

Across the border in Bungoma, 15 families in Likuyani have been rendered homeless after flood waters submerged their homes on Tuesday night. The water was flowing towards river Kipsangui.

The effects of the floods in the North and South Rift have also been felt further downstream in parts of Nyanza and Western, where Lake Victoria has swollen and broken its banks.

In what has been termed as one of the worst calamities to have hit the region in decades, over 8,000 people from Kisumu, Busia, Homa Bay, Siaya and Migori counties have been forced to flee their homes.

Kisumu has designated new evacuation centres after an estimated 32,000 people were affected.

In Homa Bay, more than 600 households in Kobuya and Wang’chieng locations in Rachuonyo North Sub-County have been displaced after River Miriu burst its banks.

Kenya Red Cross Secretary-General Asha Mohammed appealed for urgent humanitarian assistance on Wednesday, saying both food and non-food items were needed.

MISSING LOCALS

The Council of Governors will donate Sh9.4 million to cushion families affected by the landslides and floods.

“County governments have set up a fund in which every county will contribute Sh200,000 to support counties that are experiencing floods and landslides,” Governor Oparanya said last week.

Elgeyo-Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos has urged the government to expedite the process of relocating people from the Kerio Valley escarpment.

"The entire escarpment strip in West Pokot and Elgeyo-Marakwet counties is a crisis in waiting. Our people have been over the years exposed to landslides and floods. The permanent solution for this crisis is a reclamation of the escarpment and relocation of people to safer grounds," Mr Tolgos said.

This comes as Rift Valley Regional Coordinator George Natembeya clashed with leaders from West Pokot over the move to call off the search for more than 20 people missing following the Chesegon landslide.

The leaders have said many people are still unaccounted for, but Mr Natembeya maintains that the exercise was concluded "after a through search along the width and breadth of the tragedy scene".

Mr Natembeya spoke on Wednesday when he visited victims of the tragedy who are recuperating at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.

Reported by Brian Ojamaa, Gerald Bwisa, Oscar Kaikai, Titus Ominde, Onyango K'Onyango, Wycliffe Kipsang, Barnabas Bii, Vitalis Kimutai, Elizabeth Ojina, Dickens Wasonga, Victor Raballa, George Odiwuor and Justus Ochieng’.