Floods daze Kisii town following heavy down pour

Members of the public remove logs from a car that was swept at a scene along the Kisii-Migori road when flash floods raged through Kisii town's Daraja Mbili market. Photo: DENISH OCHIENG/ STANDARD

KENYA: Parts of Kisii town were rendered inaccessible in the aftermath of heavy rains witnessed in the area on Monday. Several women at Daraja Mbili open air market lost goods worth thousands of shillings in the afternoon downpour that saw a car swept off the road.

Both river Riyabe and Nyakomisaro burst their banks. The bridge along the Kisii-Nyamira road was rendered impassable forcing residents of Jogoo Estate to stay in town for hours. The floods unleashed misery on residents of Kisii town specifically traders who lost among other things second hand clothes and large quantities of horticulture sold every Monday at Daraja Mbili Market.

Catherine Kemunto, a trader at the Market said almost half of her second hand clothes were swept as the rains caught them unaware.

"This is the first time this river has burst its banks. We didn't expect this but it is our wish that the County government puts up proper culverts," said Kemunto.

Cases of lightning have been reported in some parts of the county with three people already confirmed dead in the past three weeks. The floods rendered the Kisii-Keroka and Kisii-Migori roads inaccessible forcing motorists to wait for almost three hours for the water to subside.

Kisii County Administration Police Commander Mohamed Kutsola led his officers and traffic officers in controlling both human and traffic flow. The drainage system in Kisii town has been put into question in the past as private developers continue putting up structures on top of drainage systems.

The rapid growth of the town is evident in several buildings that are coming up, and there is little space for expansion.

Kisii County Government will be able to spend Sh50milion in emergency funds following the passage of the Emergency Fund bill 2015 by the county assembly on Wednesday.

The legislation will enable the County Government provide relief to victims of the ongoing El Nino rains and other natural disasters.