Floods wreck havoc in Eldoret, render some homeless

Residents of Kapsoya in Eldoret will be forced to seek alternative shelter tonight after raging waters resulting from the ongoing rains that have pounded the area since yesterday flooded their houses.

A number of women and children that were sheltering during the afternoon rains had to be rescued from their houses that were continuously soaking from the rain water that proved too much for the existing drainage system to handle.

Property worth millions of shillings was also destroyed by the waters that swept away wall fences and flooded more than 10 residences before seeping into the houses causing further destruction, with residents blaming the local government for overlooking the importance a proper drainage system in the area.

A flooded home in previous heavy rain season. Residents of Kapsoya in Eldoret will be forced to seek alternative shelter tonight after raging waters resulting from the ongoing rains that have pounded the area since yesterday flooded their houses. (PHOTO: COURTESY)

Samson Amukata, a bodaboda operator in the area, said he heard screams from one of the houses that were affected by the floods and it was when he went to confirm what was happening that he realised the residences had flooded.

“I immediately raised an alarm and called help from other people that were sheltering at the shopping centre, we found a woman whose house was filling with water helplessly holding two children but unable to open the door lest more waters flowed inside,” said Amukata.

Amukata took issue with the current drainage system in the area where there has been road construction works which he says have further incapacitated the existing waterways due to blockage of some pathways that helped free flow of water.

“The drainage system is too small to manage the waters flowing from the higher ground and also the contractors that working on these roads overlooked the need for an effective drainage system. We have never witnessed floods of such magnitude here and the relevant authorities should urgently intervene,” added Amukata.

A shocked Njeru Gitau whose house had been filled with water to the kneelength level, said that all her electronics, 10 bags of maize besides many other household material had been destructed.

“I have stayed here for two decades and despite massive rains in the past we have never encountered floods of this magnitude, the drainage system in the area is wanting and needs urgent intervention before the dirty waters predispose us to other risks,” she said.

Gitau also blamed other residents for dumping wastes in the drainage systems causing blockage and overflow of water into their residences.

“The waters came from the blocked drainage system and brought down three wall fences before flooding our residences, we have been rendered homeless for tonight because the waters cannot be drained away,” she said.

They called upon Uasin Gishu County government to come to their rescue by clearing the drainage systems to save them from further losses from the ongoing rainfall.