Floods death toll, destruction rise

By Naftal Makori, Antony Gitonga and Kipchumba Kemei    

KENYA: Police have recovered the body of a man swept away by floods in Nyamira County as rains continue to cause destruction.

Nyamira OCPD Shadrack Maithya said the body was found at Kiambere area. Fingerprints would be taken to identify the victim.

Mr Maithya said they suspect the victim attempted to cross a swollen river but lost his balance and drowned. He urged residents who may have lost their kin to assist the police identify the body.

In Nakuru County, tens of IDPs in Gilgil and Naivasha have been displaced by the ongoing heavy rains.

The most affected are those living in Gilgil where families have left their tents. The IDPs have expressed concern saying rains could result in disease outbreak.

Mr James Mwangi from Wanaruona camp in Gilgil, said their tents have been soaked with water making them inhabitable. He said since onset of rains, they have not received assistance from Government.

“The last two weeks have been very tough. We ask the Government to resettle us once and for all,” he said.

“We have reported cases of coughing and chest pains in various camps. We ask the Government to end suffering,” he added.

Disease outbreak

In Mai Mahiu, IDPs wondered what happened to the promise to resettle them. “The rains have found us in camps again and are making our lives unbearable,” said Ms Peninah Waithera, an IDP.

Gilgil DC Kamau Karungo admitted that some IDPs were living in deplorable conditions.

He said plans to resettle all genuine IDPs were in place and called for patience as the process continues.

“Some of the IDPs living in tents are suffering due to the ongoing rains but we are making efforts to make sure that all the genuine ones are resettled,” he said. And transport along Kongoni-Maella Road in Naivasha has been adversely affected due to rains that have washed away a section of it. This has hampered transport of fresh produce from agriculture-rich area of Maella with affected farmers counting losses.

“It has been raining heavily for the last one week. Sections of the road are now impassable,” said a farmer Amos Kung’u.

In Narok, rescue teams comprising police, Kenya Red Cross and Kenya Wildlife Service personnel have been deployed to Doroboni and Ewaso Nyiro Rivers to search for remaining nine victims of Tuesday incident in which a vehicle was swept away by flash floods.

The overloaded vehicle was travelling from Ololulung’a to Nkareta. It was swept away at Ole Polos Bridge.

Narok MP Korei Lemein and his Narok West counterpart asked the Government to assist families to bury the dead.