Flooding leaves 12 dead, farm produce and roads destroyed

Two months of heavy rains and subsequent flooding have caused the death of at least 12 people and left a trail of destruction in Bomet County.

County Disaster Management Officer Stanley Mutai said victims, mostly elderly men and women, were swept away by flooded rivers.

“We have a few cases of children who drowned while cleaning near the river, but 80 per cent of the cases were adults trying to cross after a day out drinking alcohol,” said Mr Mutai.

At the same time, produce is wasting away as farmers struggle to access markets due to dilapidated roads. The worst hit are dairy farmers in Bomet East, Chepalungu and Sotik.

Richard Byegon, a dairy farmer at Kipyosit in Bomet East, said he had been unable to deliver hundreds of litres of milk to market. He cited Kioyosit-Kembu road, which has remained impassable since the start of the rains.

In Sotik, residents of Cheptagum village have been cut off from the main highway after a bridge was swept away. Residents have taken issue with a contractor who of the bridge for doing shoddy work.

Bernard Mutai said the bridge failed to withstand the storm water due to week materials used to build it.

Roads, Public Works and Transport Executive Joseph Terer said officials from his department were assessing to repair damaged infrastructure.