Seven more perish in raging floods

Seven people have been swept away by raging floods in Isiolo County as heavy rains continue. In the most recent incidents, a teacher at Leburua Secondary School was swept away by floods while heading to Isiolo Town on Friday while a Kenya Army private died under similar circumstances at Kilimani Estate.

Isiolo Senior Deputy County Commissioner Otieno Okich said the soldier was heading to town when he was swept away by floods.

Leburua High School Principal Elmoge Adam Ali confirmed the death of his colleague and said the body will be ferried to Kiambu.

Meanwhile, the rains have caused destruction in the past weeks. On Friday, a boda boda rider and two pupils he was carrying in Kulamawe Estate were swept away by the floods. Another person suffered the same fate at Sokoni and his body was recovered at Kambi Odha yesterday. Mr Okich said rescue teams are searching for bodies of the boda boda rider and the two pupils.

Along Isiolo and Samburu border at Lososia, a recovery truck hired to rescue a lorry carrying relief food was swept away by floods at the seasonal stream with five people on board on Friday evening.

Archers Post Deputy County Commissioner Maina Mwangi said two bodies have been retrieved.

Isiolo Deputy Governor Dr Abdi Ibrahim Issa said efforts are being made to retrieve the remaining bodies.

The deputy governor appealed to the residents to relocate to higher grounds until the rains subside.

“We have to assess how the town was planned so that we can prevent unnecessary deaths during floods,” he said.

He went on: “There is a pure case of poor planning, people are constructing buildings along water paths diverting the floodwaters into residential houses,” he said.

On Thursday, one person died after he was swept away by floods in Soko Mjinga.