Fish and crocodiles crawl up flooded villages in Kisauni

While Mombasa residents are devastated by days of torrential rains which have flooded homes, those in a village in Kisauni area have received mixed fortunes.

As seasonal rivers burst into life and swamps formed in the rain soaked area, fish literally swam into homes and neary pools. Children took to swimming in muddy waters, oblivious of the lurking dangers including crocodiles that also turned up in residential areas.

The fish turning up in large numbers is tilapia and mudfish.

Residents of Timboni Stage Ya Paka in Kisauni are literally collecting fish right at their doorsteps.

“Yesterday, I woke up to see tilapia on my doorstep. It was a rare sight and it is about 17 years since it happened,” said Peter Nyongesa who resides a stone throw away from the pool of water.

He says a similar incident happened in 1998 when it rained heavily.

former quarry

Mr Nyongesa told The Standard that four of her neigbours in the 10-roomed house had been displaced after water from the former quarry found its way into their rooms.

He says, while he doesn’t eat fish, the sight of fish at the doorstep is fascinating.

“Some of my neighbours picked up the fish happily saying they had found something to go with ugali,” he added.

But the abandoned quarry where the water collects also evokes gory memories in Nyongesa and other residents in an incident that happened in 1998. “A crocodile was caught by the Kenya Wildlife Service after killing a goat in the area,” says village elder Mohamed Daran, 45.

The incident shocked the residents after it was allegedly established the crocodile had escaped from Haller Park, a nature park about three kilometres away.

Meanwhile, motorcyclists are recording brisk business.

Benson Muthama, a boda boda driver is cashing in Sh1,500 daily. “I charge Sh50 to ferry people to other side of the road,” he said.

Cart pushers also registered brisk business pickings as they are in demand moving goods through floodwater.