Military deployed to rescue flood victims

The government has deployed helicopters to rescue more than 20,000 people affected by floods in Tana River and Kilifi counties after River Sabaki broke its banks following heavy downpour upstream.

Tana River Woman Representative Rehema Hassan and residents affected by the floods have appealed to the government to declare the situation a national disaster.

“We last witnessed a similar situation during the El Niño rains.

"Declare the floods a national disaster so that we can get help from the international community. The situation is dire,” Ms Hassan said after visiting displaced victims at a camp in Galole Sub-County.

RESCUE
Ms Rehema and Coast Regional Police Commander Noah Mwivanda urged residents to relocate from unsafe lowlands.

Mr Mwivanda said at least 308 families have been rescued in the two counties, which have been severely affected.

“Gamba, Tana Delta, Garsen in Tana River and parts of Malindi, Sabaki River and Galana Kulalu in Kilifi counties are the most affected.

"We are conducting successful rescue missions in collaboration with the police, Kenya Air Force, Kenya Red Cross and divers from the Kenya Navy,” Mr Mwivanda said.

Speaking in Mombasa during a press conference at the regional police headquarters, Mr Mwivanda said the rescue teams are still searching for more people and moving them to higher ground.

He said they have also taken food supplies to the rescued families.

ROAD REPAIR
Most roads in Tana River and Kilifi counties have been rendered impassable, he said, adding that personnel from the Kenya Rural Roads Authority are on the ground to repair the roads once the water levels subside.

On Thursday, the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) joined the police, county government, Kenya Red Cross Society and other humanitarian organisations to rescue more than 3,000 people trapped by floods in Garashi and Kakuyuni wards.

On Friday, the KDF said a rapid response team from the Kenya Air Force and divers from the Kenya Navy have rescued about 1,000 people.

DAMS

Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi, County Secretary Anold Mkare and Chief Officer Adan Mohamed also visited the affected families and gave them non-food materials.

Governor Kingi urged residents living near River Sabaki to move to higher ground.

He proposed that dams be built along the river to tap excess water during rainy seasons to avoid flooding.

When the Saturday Nation visited flood-hit areas like Garashi, two helicopters and divers had been dispatched there by KDF to assist in rescue missions.

Mrs Josephine Charo, a resident of Singwaya, said she narrowly escaped death when water flooded her homestead, sweeping away everything.

She said flooding started at around 1pm and many villagers had to abandon their homes.

“Some houses started caving in,” she added.

Reports by Stephen Oduor, Charles Lwanga, Wachira Mwangi and Winnie Atieno