Floods cause losses as weatherman warns of more rains

Heavy rains falling in different parts of the country have caused major losses, with the weatherman forecasting that they will continue at least until Wednesday.

At the Coast, motorists, transporters and farmers are counting huge losses after rains rendered major roads impassable.

The two days of heavy rainfall across the Coast have led to flash flooding sparking fears of displacement and loss of property.

Residents are further concerned that the floods will cause communicable diseases.

On the busy Mombasa-Nairobi highway, the traffic jam stretched over 1km from Changamwe roundabout to Makupa causeway on Saturday.

HEAVY RAINS

Passengers going to Moi International Airport and the Standard Gauge Railway Miritini terminus were forced to use boda bodas to reach their destinations on time.

And in Nakuru, unexpected heavy rains on Friday night caused massive damage.

Flash floods were reported in the sprawling Kwa Rhonda and Kaptembwa slums on the outskirts of the town.

A resident of Kaptembwa, Mr Bob Oyugi, said most of the houses in the area were flooded as the rains increased in intensity.

“My neighbour was forced to take his two-year-old twins to a safer place as she feared her home may be swept by the flash floods,” said Mr Oyugi.

The rain pattern is expected to continue, according to the Meteorological department.

FOUR HOURS

“Rainfall is expected to continue over several parts of the country including the Lake Victoria Basin, Highlands West of the Rift Valley, Central and South Rift Valley the Coast, the Northeast, the Southeast Lowlands and the Central Highlands (including Nairobi),” the department said in a forecast. 

It further warned of enhanced rainfall in the Northeastern parts of the country.

Mombasa residents would be wishing the rains abate as they have borne the worst brunt so far. Kibarani, which is under construction, was impassable for almost four hours on Saturday, causing more than six traffic police officers to be deployed to clear the traffic.

In Kwale, transport was equally paralysed along the busy Likoni-Lunga Lunga highway after River Ramisi burst its banks.

Kwale County Commissioner Karuku Ngumo said a two-year-old child drowned in a pool of water on Friday at their homestead in Vigurungani village, Kinango Sub-County.

MASSIVE DAMAGE

The rains caused massive damage on key roads in the county.

On Friday, there was massive traffic along the Likoni-Lunga Lunga highway after River Ramisi burst its banks.

Hundreds of commuters were stranded on either side of the river for the better part of the day.

Lunga Lunga Deputy County Commissioner, Mr Josphat Biwott, said yesterday the rains had subsided and the levels of water in many rivers had reduced.

“Things are back to normal after two days of heavy rains that pounded the region and there is an easy flow of traffic currently along the highway,” he said.

Mr Biwott said they have started households and crop damage assessment exercise across the county.

In Matuga sub-county, a section of Matuga Girls High School toilets damaged.

DAMAGE ROADS

In Kinango sub-county, River Mwache flooded affecting transport, with the Mazeras-Kinango road cut off at Mwache.

However, Mr Karuku said the water had subsided and transport restored after residents were forced to use Kinango-Samburu and Kinango-Kwale Roads to access Mombasa.

National Drought Management Authority county coordinator, Mr Ramon Sherah, said apart from causing damage to roads in the county, the rains have been beneficial.

He said water reservoirs are full and have started overflowing following.

“We had a good season in March to May and short rain season is here, we urge farmers to prepare for the rains and reap from them,” he said, adding that the county has adequate water and pasture that will last for months.

UNABLE TO FERRY MILK

In Taita Taveta County, horticultural and milk farmers said they were unable to transport their produce following the bad state of Kungu-Ngerenyi Road.

The heavy downpour started on Wednesday making the farmers unable to ferry milk and vegetables to markets within and outside the county. Some of the dairy farmers in Ngerenyi who sell their milk to a processor in the country said they had lost hundreds of litres of milk.

Mr John Mombo said he had lost over 10 litres due to the poor state of the road.

“Today I had to hawk my milk. The vehicles cannot reach here,” he added.

He said locals who wanted to seek medical care at Wesu sub county hospital in Wundanyi could also not reach the facility.

 Reporting by Winnie Atieno, Fadhili Fredrick, Lucy Mkanyika and Francis Mureithi.