Hotels submerged as River Sabaki burst its banks

Magarini houses were submerged by flood waters after River Sabaki burst its banks. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard] Floods have submerged some hotels in Malindi after River Sabaki burst its banks due to heavy downpours upstream. The raging waters also swept away a tourist attraction site- Mekatilili wa Menza Baobab tree. The worst hit is the Sabaki River Hotel which was submerged, rendering more than 20 people jobless. Amani Nduryia, the hotel owner, said they used to receive between 20 and 25 visitors a day, with more than 50 at the weekend. "We used to have a camping package. During high season, we received international and domestic tourists who used to camp for even weeks, and business was good," Nduryia said. "I don't know where to begin. I have lost my lifetime investment. The waters visited at night, and we couldn't salvage much," he added. Hippo camp and Camp Gede and other campsites were also submerged. Michael Nzai, the only worker who has been retained to build a makeshift structure, said the other workers were laid off. Most of the tourists were from Britain, Germany, and China. The closure of the hotels is a big blow to residents who used to supply meat, fish and vegetables. Karisa Ngumbao, who used to serve as a tour guide and a bird expert, says the major tourist attraction in the area is the rare birds. "Some of the birds found in the area are the Great White Egret, African Scop owl, snipe, and sand pipe," he said. Thousands of people living near the river bank were also rendered homeless after their house were submerged. Various roads in the Malindi and Magarini sub-county have been rendered impassable by the floods. Kilifi County Executive member for Agriculture Chula Mwagona said the department distributed 2000 bales of maize seeds to farmers whose farms were swept away by floods. "However, we are still doing assessments and next week, we will be able to come up with a proposal and the exact budget needed to repair farm structures, " he said. In Tana River, several homes were submerged, forcing families to seek shelter at nearby schools and churches.

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Hotels submerged as River Sabaki burst its banks

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