Floods wreak havoc in Naivasha as residents move to safe grounds
Kirera Mwiti and Robert Ochoro
Close to 100 families in parts of Naivasha have relocated to higher grounds following floods occasioned by the ongoing heavy rains.
Moi Ndabi area is the most affected as tens of residents have moved to the nearby school after their homes became flooded.
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The families, through their MCA Gathariki Kamanu, have called for humanitarian aid.
“Our appeal is to people of goodwill to come and assist these families who are undergoing untold suffering due to the rainy weather,” he said.
Crops that were about to be harvested have also been destroyed by the rains while roads have been rendered impassible.
Kamanu said heavy rains pounding the higher areas of Maella and Sakutiek caused flooding in the lower areas, leaving a trail of destruction. He said the floods have left Kongoni-Moi-Ndabi-Maella road impassable causing traders to incur heavy losses.
“The road has been cut off completely and we are now using motorcycles to transport people and produce from one side to the other,” he said.
The sentiments came as Nakuru County government donated foodstuff and blankets to the affected families as part of disaster response.
The county Disaster Management chief officer Ann Njenga, who led officials from the county in distributing the items said the devolved unit had set aside Sh25 million for disaster management.
During the visit, she said 11 wards within the county had been affected by flooding, adding that a majority of the victims had received aid.
Njenga said Molo and Kuresoi sub-counties were the hardest hit with farms and homes being submerged in flood waters, leaving many families homeless.
“Since the rains began over 2,000 families in the county have been displaced and we are putting in place mitigation measures to stop further losses,” she said.
Relocate victims
Meanwhile, Kisii County Education Board chairman Dr. Henry Onderi has urged national and county governments to relocate victims of landslides and floods, who are camping in schools, ahead of school re-opening today.
He said the schools will not accommodate the displaced persons as they will stretch the schools’ facilities and disrupt learning.
Onderi said some landslide survivors are being sheltered at Nyasasa Secondary and Nyabworoba SDA Primary School in South Mugirango and Kitutu Chache North constituencies, respectively.
Speaking to the press yesterday in Kisii town, he appealed to the government to look for alternative land to accommodate the affected persons who lost their homes, crops and animals, as a permanent solution was being sought.
Contacted, Sensi ward rep Paul Angwenyi (in Kitutu Chache North constituency) said they had informed the National government of the plight of the affected and are waiting for response.
“The national government officers are aware of the situation,”he said.
At the same time, Onderi warned parents and guardians against keeping Standard Eight leavers at home due to low marks or lack of fees, saying they risk arrest and prosecution.
He asked parents to ensure their children join secondary schools to enhance attainment of the government’s policy on 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary schools.
“We want children who sat Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam last year to join secondary schools,” he said.
He urged chiefs to report to education officers parents who kept their children at home and ensure that every child who sat the national exam is accounted for.
