Only bridge to village hit by mudslides caves in

The only bridge connecting a village where 22 people were killed by mudslides in West Pokot has collapsed.

This has paralysed transport, further delaying the supply of relief food to survivors of the disaster.

Marich bridge caved in on Wednesday as a lorry driver attempting to cross it to deliver relief food to locals who have been relocated to a camp in Tamkal, Sigor Constituency.

Authorities said the bridge might have caved in after it was overwhelmed by the weight of the lorry that was full of grain and other humanitarian supplies.

West Pokot County Commissioner Apollo Okello said the lorry overturned, falling on the river bank after the bridge collapsed.

“A team of engineers are heading to the bridge to try and restore transport following its collapse. We hope that things will normalise soon,” said Mr Okello.

He said Marich bridge was the only link to Muino village, where several houses were swept away by floods.

Chapera equally bad

Residents said vehicles belonging to humanitarian agencies, the police and other teams that were in Tamkal before the incident could not move out of the area since Chepera bridge, which connects Muino village, and which is located barely five kilometres from the collapsed bridge, was yet to be constructed after it was swept away during the floods that triggered landslides.

Alphonse Otieno, a pastor in Tamkal, said no vehicle could move in or out of the area.

“Marich was the only remaining bridge. It was like our gate out of the area,” Mr Otieno told The Standard.

He warned that several residents might go hungry if the humanitarian crisis is not addressed urgently.

West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo, who had earlier flagged off relief food destined for Tamkal, said the caving in of the bridge had exacerbated the humanitarian crisis.

“This was the only bridge connecting Sigor to Kitale-Kapenguria-Lodwar highway, Baringo and Elgeyo Marakwet counties. Chepera bridge was swept away on the fateful Saturday night. I am calling on the national government to assist us in airlifting basic needs to Parua and Muino,” Prof Lonyangapuo pleaded.

Meanwhile, a multi-agency team, led by the Kenya Red Cross Society, has been searching for at least 15 bodies believed to be trapped in River Weiwei since Saturday.

North Rift Red Cross Society official Nicholas Kipchumba said the team, also comprising Kenya Defense Forces, the police and residents, reported that it had recovered one body.

Okello said the body was yet to be identified.

“We shall thoroughly search the river as we try to retrieve the bodies. We are at the same time distributing non-food items to survivors,” said Mr Kipchumba.