Over 20 homes destroyed in Kinoo floods

Floods in Kinoo: Resident are blaming a road builder for blocking culverts and other waterways. [George Njung'e, Standard]

Over 20 families have been displaced by floods in Kinoo, Kiambu County as heavy rains pound the area especially in the last three days.

Houses have been submerged in meters-deep water. The floods have swept all the household items away.

Jane Ngugi, who is one of the affected people, was woken up by what she termed as cold mattress.

“I was woken up by severe cold in my bed around midnight… I stepped on water… that is when I realized that we were underwater,” says.

She tried to move her two children to a safer place in a nearby building but by then the water had risen to a meter high.

"I have been in this plot for over 35 years and I have never seen this kind of flooding. I have lost everything in my house from electronics, clothes, and furniture. We have been hosted by a friend," says Jane.

Jane’s tenants also lost heavily.

It was terrible to see their floating belongings being swept away and with nothing that could have been done.

Locals blame the flooding on a contractor who is expanding the Nakuru- Nairobi highway whom they say has blocked waterways and the drainage system.

Dennis Ngugi said the contractor has blocked all the culverts and built a wall intended to be an overpass without considering rainwater and the drainage

"We don't know where to get him so that we can explain our predicament," Ngugi said.

The residents are also blaming high-rise buildings jutting up in Kinoo with questionable drainage systems.

The flooding was so severe that a Kiambu county backhoe tractor was deployed to dig trenches to drain the water away.

From adjacent building men could be seen evacuating dogs and ducks to safer places as trucks and cars were almost covered by water.

Peter Chege said that his priority was to evacuate his wife and children.

“I only came back today to lift my two dogs and four ducks to safety. It’s horrible losing all my belongings in one night," Chege said.

Another danger that is staring at the families is pit latrines that serve them.

According to Phoebe Muthoni, the families are served by at least four pit latrines that have been flooded by water which is flowing everywhere.

 "We are sitting on a health hazard time bomb.  All this water is contaminated with human waste as all the latrines are halfway submerged," Phoebe said

Phoebe added that her greatest fear was the realization that a borehole that serves them with clean water had been covered by water.

The residents are appealing to the contractor and Kiambu County government to look into the matter by constructing a proper drainage system or at least temporarily divert the water to a non-risky area pending comprehensive works.