Amid death, debris and mud, dazed Solai dam survivors stir back to life

On a normal Friday evening, residents of Energy and Nyakinyua villages would be trying to make ends meet, just like other Kenyans.

Those who farm tomatoes, carrots and other crops would be worrying about how the rains are affecting their produce, how the harvested crops would be transported to Nairobi and elsewhere, and such other concerns.

Shopkeepers would be agonising about how to make an extra shilling while butchers would be minding the best cuts.

PAY ADVANCE

Yesterday, being three days to mid month, residents of Energy Village such as Ruth Wangui, 40, would be looking forward to getting their advance pay from Patel Farm. The farm management pays them a standard Sh270 a day for working on its farms. The pay comes twice a month, at mid month and end month.

But it was a stark difference yesterday evening. A road tattered by heavy traffic, a flattened village, occasional sounds of a helicopter bringing in a dignitary — were the new norm in the sleepy village.Mr Mbugua Kariuki, a watchman at Solai Nyakinywa Primary School, would have began his nightly routine at the time he spoke with the Sunday Nation at 6.30pm. Instead, he was still coming to turns with depressing scenes of picking up bodies from the school compound following the Wednesday night tragedy.

SH200,000

“We rescued a woman who later died in hospital. The body of a boy was picked there,” he said, pointing at a spot near the school gate. He survived only narrowly, thanks to the survival instinct that when you hear screams, dash indoors lest you cross paths with assailants. Solai Nyakinywa Primary School would have been teeming with children playing, but yesterday it was strangely quiet, the deluge having cut right in the middle of the compound and brought with it bodies, a car, and other wreckage. There were no learning activities. 

Mr Paul Mureithi, the chairman of the school’s board of management, said five pupils from the institution died in the dam accident. Ms Wangui, a mother of four, was among those who encountered the biggest destruction. Her entire house was swept away alongside property she estimates to be worth Sh200,000. She can only count herself lucky to have survived with her entire family. Her new home will now be the camp at Solai High School, where victims of the disaster are being housed. “We are still in fear. We don’t know what is next,” she said.

LOOTING

Mr Simon Njenga, a survivor of the Patel dam tragedy, is very bitter. Not for losing loved ones or household goods — but for the looting of his belongings by vandals pretending to be rescuers.

As he counts himself lucky to have escaped death, Mr Njenga is still finding it hard to understand how people, possibly neighbours he would have expected to assist him, could end up causing him and his family more suffering.

After he miraculously saved himself and his family, Mr Njenga was counting his blessings as the raging waters had not done much damage to his property.

His wife and daughter cheated death so he knew that his next cause of action was to pick up the pieces and move on with life. This was, however, not to be. A band of youths stormed his house at dawn on Thursday and carted away his valuables.

NOBODY

“I could not believe my eyes when they looted my house in my presence. They made away with electronics, furniture, clothing, agricultural machinery and other valuables,” said Mr Njenga.

Mr Njenga, a nurse at Kabazi Hospital, said he lost property valued at over Sh6 million during the raid. Long after the vandals had fled, Mr Njenga’s phone, which they had stolen, continued ringing although nobody answered.

On the fateful night, Mr Njenga and his family were having supper when they heard a loud blast at around 8pm. “We were shocked by the terrific bang. I decided to see what was happening. When I went out, I saw a big volume of water coming downhill towards my house. Before I could go back to rescue my family, the waters had already reached my house,” he narrated.

NARROWLY

The raging waters, he said, destroyed part of his house walls before sweeping the family and some of his property. He was saved from the deadly waters by a tree whose branch he clung to.

“I was swept for about 200 metres from the house. My blood froze whenever huge rocks and boulders narrowly missed me,” said Mr Njenga.

When the water subsided, he started the arduous task of searching for his wife Margaret Wachu and daughter Caroline Wanjiku, whom he feared had been swept away.

He, however, found the daughter safe in the house after she clung onto the metal grill at the door. His wife was stuck at the fence where she had been pushed to by the waters.