Village in Rachuonyo where rainfall is a curse
Homes in Kobala sub-location in Rachuonyo North, Homa Bay County, marooned by floods on April 11, 2024.
What you need to know:
- The situation in most counties after the ongoing heavy rains has shown zero preparedness and response to the current weather situation.
- Some buildings that have been affected by floods have developed weak foundations.
Every time the sky turns grey and thunder tears through the village, families in Wang' Chieng' location, Rachuonyo North panic.
It is an inevitable sign they must give up the safety of their houses and head to neighbouring schools, churches, and health facilities for shelter.
Each year, the location has been experiencing severe floods due to its flat topography, which allows water from higher ground to swamp the agricultural land on its way to Lake Victoria.
The village is marooned for several weeks and houses made of mud crumble.
Living in such a condition is nearly impossible, so families have to pitch tents or reside in classrooms at Osodo, Kobala, and Kobuya primary schools, which are on higher grounds.
Ms Tekla Taabu is among those who have been making the yearly trip to camps each time it rains, and it is her third time being displaced in one year.
Like in previous years, ongoing April- May rains affected her, and she left her house in the last week of March to live at a camp.
"I spend at least two months every year outside my home when it rains, and the compound gets flooded. Each time it rains, I have to wait for the water level to go down before I can return to my house," she says.
However, over the past 30 years she has lived in the location, Ms Taabu has noticed that the water level increases yearly and takes longer before ebbing.
In the past, she could observe weather patterns and forecast when it would rain and the water level would recede.
"I could even tell the amount of rainfall we would receive and predict when I would return home. Today, however, the weather is unpredictable, and the floods keep increasing, making us stay in camps longer," Ms Taabu says.
What the senior citizen is experiencing reflects what is happening in other regions where severe floods have surprised many.
In Nairobi county, for example, deadly torrents have terrorised informal settlements where some people have died after being swept away by raging waters.
Floods have now become the most devastating climate change risk with experts warning that more damage is likely to be witnessed in the coming years if no intervention is put in place to mitigate the situation.
Mr Clifford Omondi, a climatologist and a member of the Environment Institute of Kenya, says the country largely reacts during floods rather than being proactive before such disasters strike.
"There is inadequate preparedness before, during and after floods. What we are experiencing now clearly shows that there was no preparedness to deal with the effects of floods," he says.
Floods disrupt the provision of services when roads, electricity poles and social amenities are damaged.
To a large extent, it leads to the loss of lives.
Mr Omondi says most devolved units only spend funds during flood recovery phase after the damage attributing this challenge to failure by regional governments to formulate and enact climate-sensitive policies.
"County governments do not have proper legislation, frameworks, and development plans that reference resilience to protect infrastructure against unforeseen climate risks," Mr Omondi says.
Zero preparedness
According to the climate expert, some countries have legislation and policies on climate change but only on paper.
He says all devolved units should have Town and Building Climatology, which deals with the reciprocal influences of structures and settlements on the one hand and regional climatic conditions on the other.
It advocates for building resilience in infrastructure to respond to and withstand effects of climate shocks.
"Different stakeholders need to share a common vision to ensure events associated with climate change are properly mitigated. Floods expose infrastructure to structural damage, wearing out and edging out quickly, thus increasing maintenance and replacement costs," Mr Omondi says.
Some buildings that have been affected by floods have developed weak foundations.
A home in Kobala sub-location in Rachuonyo North, Homa Bay County, marooned by floods on April 11, 2024.
He explains that concerned departments in every county government should be acquainted with a disaster management cycle that includes mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
However, the situation in most counties after the ongoing floods has shown zero preparedness and response to the current weather situation.
In some areas, families were evacuated after their homes were flooded with signs that the same will be witnessed in the future.
Mr Omondi calls on county governments to plan appropriately for any eventuality, including drought following floods.
"Failure to take action now will lead to a fall in the economy and increased poverty. The government should not wait for people to be displaced or die before responding; rather, there should be a preparedness plan to reduce damages caused by floods," he says.
According to the Climate Economy Report, it is estimated that global investment in infrastructure will increase annually due to floods.
Mr Omondi says vulnerability to floods should be a cause of concern to the whole country. "Floods lead to many socio-economic losses and the spread of diseases, which affect communities and families," he said.
The climate expert calls for proper infrastructure planning, saying floods are bound to continue, with some areas experiencing more severe inundation than before.
"The effects of climate change will continue, and they are worsening. Therefore, we should reference resilience in infrastructure planning and development," Mr Omondi says.
Some infrastructure development policies include land use planning and building codes, and standards.
However, Mr Omondi says they do not provide adequate means for enhancing climate-resilient infrastructure, which he describes as a new concept.
"Climate variability impacts planning, design, construction and maintenance of buildings. Government must not wait for people to be displaced or die before they react," he says.
Families in Rachuonyo North, the region worst hit by floods over the past years, could finally live in their homes all year round if the government's plans are implemented. Water and Sanitation Cabinet Secretary Zachariah Njeru said the government has two projects that the State will undertake in the region to address floods.
First, it will construct dykes along River Miriu, which is the main contributor to floods in Rachuonyo North.
"We are looking for a long-term solution to the problem. We have made all plans for the construction of dykes, and the project will begin in two weeks," Mr Njeru said.
When undertaking the project, a National Youth Service (NYS) team will desilt the river to control water movement into Lake Victoria.
"We will similarly construct dykes in lower Tana and Budalangi where floods are a problem," Mr Njeru said.
Later, the government will construct a multi-purpose dam along the River Miriu River to control water movement within Wang' Chieng', which is located at the lower side of the river.
A suitable location near Sondu in Kericho county has been identified for the proposed Magwagwa dam.
When it rains upstream, River Miriu typically holds large volumes of water.
Some is deposited on farmland as water moves downstream near Miriu market at the border between Nyakach and Karachuonyo.
The situation has been the same for many years, and it has left families in poverty as most of them cannot invest for fear of near certain losses.
Others have to spend a lot of money to repair their houses each time they are destroyed by floods.
Mr Njeru said the dykes will be constructed on both sides of River Miriu.
"Other rivers that are prone to floods will also have dykes constructed along them," the CS said when he visited flood victims who converged at Rakwaro chiefs camp to get relief food.
However, once implemented, the dam will be used for other activities besides controlling floods.
Using water from the dam, the Department of Irrigation can use it to supply water to farms to support food production during dry seasons.
It can also be used for hydroelectric power generation.
Mr Njeru said he has involved different ministries in the project.
"We are aware that crops were swept by floods. Our long-term solution will address multiple problems at once," he said.
Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency chairman Odoyo Owidi said the dam is the best solution for the problem faced by families in Wang' Chieng', which has been the worst affected region.
He proposed that agencies likely to benefit from the project team up to ensure its implementation.
According to Mr Owidi, the budget for undertaking the project cannot be supported by one State agency.
He said some State entities that should shoulder the construction burden include energy generator KenGen, Lake Basin Development Authority, and Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency.
He said a study was conducted at the site when he was chairman at LBDA, and a budget of at least $1 billion was drawn.
"Construction of the dam was a proposal that was made years ago; however, it has not been implemented due to financial constraints. The dam can hold water and release it at controlled rates," Mr Owidi said.
According to Homa Bay County Commissioner Moses Lilan, it is the third time famines in Wang' Chieng' have been displaced by floods.
Wang' Chieng' Ward MCA Victor Obuya said the government should have implemented flood mitigation measures a long time ago.
He said the area has been visited by different government officials, including committees from the National Assembly with promises for action that so far remain just that.
The teams made reports of possible ways of addressing the problem.
"Unfortunately, none of the proposed plans was ever implemented. It is about time that we get a solution to this problem," Mr Obuya said.
