Help sought as floods kill 112 people
Red Cross Society Secretary General Abbas Gullet (left) exchanges documents with Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso when the two signed an MoU on provision of clean safe drinking water on May 4, 2018. Dr Gullet said Red Cross needs Sh499m to help flood victims. PHOTO | FRANCIS NDERITU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Angry families accused local police of laxity and questioned the county government’s preparedness for disaster.
- In Tana River, a directive was issued to forcibly move residents living in flood-prone areas to higher ground.
At least 112 people have been killed by floods, the Kenya Red Cross Society has said as it launched a Sh499 million appeal to help those displaced.
On Friday, eight people died and property was destroyed in separate incidents following heavy rains in different parts of the country.
Kenya Red Cross Society Secretary-General Abbas Gullet said the emergency fund will go towards provision of shelter and settlement, health and nutrition, water and food for the affected population.
Seven people died and 11 were missing in Kajiado County on Thursday night.
POLICE BLAMED
Residents told the Nation five, among them four standard gauge railway construction workers, were swept away by floods when they were crossing Fatima South bridge on River Kandisi in Ongata Rongai.
The other two, a woman and her son, were killed by floods inside their house near Kiserian.
“About 11 people are feared missing as they were seen crossing the river. Actually, two men and a woman escaped and I have seen one being taken to a local hospital in Ongata Rongai,” a witness who did not want to be identified said.
Angry families accused local police of laxity and questioned the county government’s preparedness for disaster.
Residents blocked the Magadi-Kiserian road to protest the deaths.
LANDSLIDE
Kajiado North MP Joseph Manje, who was at the scene, accused the bridge contractor of rushing its completion, terming it substandard.
In West Pokot County, a six-year-old girl was buried alive and more than 300 people displaced in Kapsangar following a landslide on Thursday night as a result of heavy rains.
In Tana River, a directive was issued to forcibly move residents living in flood-prone areas to higher ground.
Deputy County Commissioner Michael Kioni said once land is identified, those displaced by floods will be forced to move, failing which they will face arrest and prosecution.
“We are just waiting for the county government to point out plots of land in the uplands where we will resettle them," he said.
RELIEF FOOD
Kenya Red Cross has identified the worst affected counties as Tana River, Garissa, Kilifi and Kisumu, Mandera, Isiolo, Turkana, Marsabit, Makueni and Kitui where 48,177 households have been displaced so far.
The agency plans to escalate its flood response programmes in 21 counties.
Dr Gullet pointed out that the agency has only Sh50 million allocated for relief operations in its accounts.
So far, Kenya Red Cross has Sh50 million towards the floods appeal.
