Families moved to higher grounds as River Nzoia bursts its banks

By STANDARD TEAM

KENYA: There is anxiety among Bunyala South residents after water levels at River Nzoia rose due to the ongoing heavy downpour.

Already, the Provincial Administration and the National Water Conservation and Pipeline Corporation (NWCPC), the firm tasked with the rehabilitation of dykes, have asked residents to seek refuge on higher grounds.

They say the water level of the river has risen to 6.12 metres, threatening to burst the river’s banks.

On Thursday, locals spent sleepless night as they frantically fought off floods by raising the height of the dykes, using gunny bags as the water level kept rising.

According to experts, any level of water above 4.8 metres is considered dangerous since it was a traditional sign of impending floods.

Residents’ safety

“At the moment, we cannot guarantee residents’ safety because the water levels have reached an abnormally high level and the dykes may not withstand the pressure. It is important that people move to higher grounds to avert any losses,” said Lucy Mbuthia, the NWCPC site engineer.

 Mbuthia expressed disappointment that despite the worrying situation, some locals have refused to leave their homes thus endangering their lives. Signs of the dykes crumbling began two weeks ago when water started sipping underneath the dykes near Igigo, Sibuka, Siginga and Bukoba points, displacing about 35 families and destroying crops in over 2000 acre farms.

Elsewhere, transport along Kisii-Migori Road has been paralysed after heavy rains destroyed a section of it. The busy road was destroyed near Kamagambo Adventist Teachers College, about 15 kilometres from Kisii town. The damage caused a heavy traffic snarl-up, with more than 300 vehicles stuck on the road as there was no alternative road. ?

 Officers lost

Heavily affected were Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) that ply the?Isebania - Nairobi route.?Many of the buses heading to Nairobi used the Rongo - Etago - Kisii murram road.

In Baringo, over 300 families have been affected by floods and more than 10 acres of crops destroyed as mudslides hit six villages in Baringo County. Villagers in Sangarau, Ngetmoi, Emom, Sigowo and Timboiywo are living in fear after the hilly areas started experiencing cracks and fissures. This, they say indicates more landslides should the heavy rains continue. Transport along Ngetmoi-Kibonjos-Kaptich road has been cut-off after falling rocks blocked the road, rendering it impassible for motorists and pedestrians.

- Reports by Benson Buluma, Robert Kiplagat and Stanley Ongwae