More people killed as floods leave a trail of destruction across country

Motorists drives through a flooded road in Mombasa on May 5, 2016. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The floods have displaced at least 300 families.

  • In Baringo’s Ilchamus ward, four people were confirmed dead and more than 4,000 others displaced.

  • And two bodies were separately recovered from the Indian Ocean in Mombasa County.

  • In Thika, scores of people were last night forced to spend the night away from their houses after flash floods fell a GSU camp perimeter wall.

Nine people, including three children, have died after they were swept away by floods, following heavy rainfall that has continued to displace hundreds of families across the country.

The three children died Sunday after being swept by floods in Olwalo village, Kisumu County. The floods also displaced at least 300 families.

Veronicah Awuor, 5, Molline Atieno, 3 and two-year-old Salphine had gone to visit their grandmother, who lives across River Olwalo when the rains started pouring.

Their mother, Ms Maureen Otieno, said they drowned on their way back as the river had overflown.

“We searched for them everywhere up to midnight and went to sleep. On Sunday morning, we found the elder one and the two later in the day,” said Mr Seth Olang, their father.

In Baringo’s Ilchamus ward, four people were confirmed dead and more than 4,000 others displaced.

According to residents, the four were swept by the raging floods while they were asleep on Friday night.

The most affected areas are Loropil, Salabani, Ilng’arua, Sintaan and Ng’ambo locations where residents have been left homeless.

When she toured the affected areas yesterday, Baringo South MP Grace Kipchoim, however, said responding to the emergency had been hampered as many roads had been rendered impassable.

MASSIVE LANDSLIDE

And two bodies were separately recovered from the Indian Ocean in Mombasa County.

The body of a 22-year-old man was on Sunday recovered at Shelly beach in Likoni, while another of a 14-year-old boy was found in Changamwe on Friday.

Likoni police boss Willy Simba said the body of the man was found lying on the shore with no physical injuries.

“The boy was swept away and the water took him to Chaani where the roads were flooded. It was on Friday that were alerted by the public after they had seen the body which the police and the Red Cross had been looking for,” said Changamwe police boss Joseph Muthee.

In Murang’a County, bad weather hampered a search for an elderly woman at the site of a massive landslide in Kigumo.

According to Paul Murage, the county’s meteorological director, they had to suspend the search and would resume after the rain subsides.

Residents of Kiawamagira village and those of Dagoretti market protested over the Kenya National Highways Authority “neglecting them”.

Speaking to the Nation on Sunday, Kikuyu ward representative Binary Wainaina said the delayed construction of a drainage system was affecting businesses.

Dagoretti market, which is one of the largest retail facilities for meat supply both in Kiambu and Nairobi counties, has been affected by the heavy downpour in the last two weeks.

“Many slaughter houses have been closed as a result. Nyongara slaughter house perimeter wall has also been damaged thrice by heavy flooding,” said Nyongara slaughter house manager Mr Kennedy Ababu.

In Thika, scores of people were last night forced to spend the night away from their houses after flash floods fell a GSU camp perimeter wall and forced its way into the nearby residential buildings.

A three-hour heavy downpour caused damage of property whose value is yet to be established forcing residents who were caught up in the 10pm incident to seek shelter elsewhere.

According to a resident, Mr Peter Njuguna, the rains started immediately he got into his house and soon after people started screaming for help.

“We heard people screaming at around 11 o’clock and we went to check on them, only to find the GSU wall down with water forcing its way into the nearby houses which were also flooded,” said Mr Njuguna.

REPORT TO SCHOOL

One man was hit by the wall and was rushed to the hospital.

Sunday, Ukay Centre in Nairobi’s Westlands was closed following flooding after heavy rains on Saturday evening.

Nakumatt Ukay housed in Ukay Centre was closed indefinitely following the floods and staff were still pumping water out of the supermarket yesterday afternoon.

Mr Martin Francis, an account manager at Nakumatt head office, attributed the flooding to a blocked drainage.

“The whole Ukay Centre and the car park was flooded,” Mr Francis said.

The car park of Westgate shopping mall, just nearby, which was covered by a thick carpet of mud as a result of the flooding, was also being cleared yesterday.

About 100 students from Cherab in Isiolo who were not able to report back to school after the area was cut off by floods have been evacuated by helicopter. Heavy rains and flash floods experienced in the region destroyed a section of roads linking Baasa to Merti sub-county paralysing transport.

The students from various schools in Wajir, Isiolo, Meru and Garissa counties were last week forced to stay at their homes when schools reopened.

Isiolo Governor Godana Doyo, however, intervened by seeking the services of a chopper to access the region and evacuate some students to neighbouring areas of Merti and Isiolo town to enable the students report back to school today.

Reported by Angela Oketch, Florah Koech, Mohamed Ahmed, Martin Mwaura, Charity Wambugu, Waga Odongo, Mary Wambui and Vivian Jebet