Man killed, thousands displaced following relentless downpour

By Standard Team

KENYA: Heavy rains pounding various parts of the country have killed a man and left thousands of people displaced.

The man, 40, died in Homabay County, where the rains have also displaced over 400 families.

The body of Philip Odhiambo was found by children who were fetching firewood on Saturday near River Goye in Mbita District, three kilometres from his home.

His wife Josephine Odoyo, 30, said her husband left home at about 4pm last Friday for Homa Bay town where he was going to meet someone.

“I have been waiting for him to come back in vain. I am shocked of his death,” she said. It is suspected that Odhiambo died while trying to cross the flooded river.

The floods also damaged Odoyo’s house.  “I have suffered double loss because I have also been left without a house,” the widow added.

Crossing river

Lambwe West Chief Daniel Obure said the deceased, who was a farmer, might have met his death while striving to cross the river.

“He was seen at a nearby village late Friday evening. He might have drowned while crossing the river. It is always difficult to identify safe parts of the river when it rains,” Mr Obure said. Some 400 families with about 6,000 people in the county have been forced to camp at Ogando, Kamato, Nyamaji, Ochieng’ Odiere, Aringo and Waringa primary schools.

Lambwe Ward representative Walter Okumu appealed to the Government to provide emergency humanitarian aid to the victims.

Okumu said residents were living in fear of contracting waterborne diseases. In Nyatike Constitutency, floods have displaced 700 families.

They are camping at Nyora and Kabuto Primary schools.

The families, however, were forced to look for alternative sites after several classrooms they were staying in were flooded over the weekend.

“Even the place we thought was higher ground is no longer safe,” said James Owino, a resident camping at Kabuto.

Area MP Edick Anyanga called on the Government to come up with long-term strategies of dealing with the problem to ensure that people do not leave their homes every year because of floods.

Higher ground

“Let us get ways of stopping water from displacing people. Measures like building dykes long the river as well as constructing a dam could help in bringing a lasting solution,” he said.

In Nyamira County, heavy rains have led to breakdown of sanitation facilities in a number of schools as they reopen this week for second term. In Gesima Ward in Masaba North sub-county, several schools have their latrines overflowing.

In Rachuonyo South District, the disaster has forced over 60 families to flee their homes in Kasewe and Ramba area. Residents are now staying in churches and primary schools.

The floods in Kasewe occurred when River Awach burst its banks due to heavy rainfall.

Rachuonyo South DC Joshene Ouko told people living in areas prone to floods to move to higher ground.

At Kano plains in Kisumu County, the intensity of the menace was subsiding, but rice farmers in the area have to contend with serious losses.

“Our lives entirely depend on rice farming. We have lost our livelihoods following the damages,” said Leonard Onyando, a farmer.

Homa Bay Red Cross Society coordinator John Roche confirmed to The Standard that water levels had increased in the area.

–– James Omoro, Nick Oluoch, and Dennis Onyango