Floods kill four, render scores of families homeless

By Cyrus Ombati and Rushdie Oudia

Kenya: Floods killed at least four people and displaced hundreds of others as heavy rains continued to pound various parts of the country.

On Sunday night, raging waters killed four passengers in separate incidents in Kajiado North District.

The deceased include a woman, 26, and man, 35, whose bodies were retrieved from the waters of Kandisi River Monday morning.

They were travelling in a matatu from Ongata Rongai to Kiserian when the incident happened.

Police said they were yet to recover the bodies of the driver and his tout after the incident happened at about 10pm. It is not clear if they survived. It is said there were two passengers in the matatu.

The body of Simon Wamae, 40 was also recovered from Entasopia River in Magadi where he had drowned as he tried to cross.

Flee homes

Kajiado North DC Mwangi Kahiro said another body belonging to James Gichinga was recovered along Kangawa Road.

He added two other vehicles were swept at Lemelepo River in the area but the occupants were not injured.

“We have alerted the concerned parties to help in searching the area for any clue on more victims,” he said adding the death toll may increase.

In Kisumu, more than 200 families fled their homes after they flooded.

Some of the families managed to salvage their property while others lost them.

Affected areas included Nyamasaria, Orongo, Nyaori, Kasagam and Otera, Kakola, Kochogo, Kanyagwal, Wawidhi, Kobura and Kanyaktumo.

George Osimbo, a victim in Kakola, said the rains started Sunday evening and continued late into the night.

Osimbo, together with his family, had to move to Ahero to avoid floods. He said if they had dykes, they could help to control water levels.

Construct dykes

“We cannot move away from this region because the land is fertile but it can be improved by creating canals,” said Osimbo.

Another resident Pamela Onyango said her house was covered with water. She asked the Government to create an initiative where locals would help to construct dykes or canals to help in reducing flood’s effects.

In Nyamasaria, the situation was no different as Kenya Red Cross officials issued an alert to motorists plying the Kisumu-Ahero Road.

They feared a temporary bridge in the area might be swept away by floods. Chinese workers, however, worked on the bridge to stem collapse. The floods also destroyed crops. In Nairobi, area police boss Benson Kibue said officers had recovered the badly damaged matatu from Kandisi River, Ongata Rongai.

“The rains were heavy. Many people may have underrated them. We have retrieved two bodies and efforts to get the others are on-going,” said Kibue.

Survey area

He added contingents of police and other officials have been mobilised to survey the area and check if there could be more people who were affected by floods.

Nairobi and its environs have been experiencing heavy downpour in the past days, which has caused floods.

Kibue added two men were rescued from floods after their car was swept away. The victims were not injured.

The two, Benson Maina and Geoffrey Kibicho were leaving Olopolos on Sunday night when the incident happened, police said.

Police added the rains rendered some of roads in Nairobi impassable.

Meanwhile, a woman was found dead along Mombasa Road on Sunday night. Her body was removed from the scene Monday morning.

Nairobi Area deputy head of traffic Leonard Katana said they are yet to know how the woman died.