Help displaced families 

This month came with the blessing of rain and the curse of flash floods. Before the rains came, the dry season had extended its welcome and the country was on the verge of draining its food basket. 

The announcement from the Kenya Meteorological Department regarding the onset of the rainy season was a comforting balm to people’s hearts. 

However, when the rain finally poured, the aftermath was not so rosy, what with flash floods leaving many families despondent in some parts of the country. 

In Gilgil and Narok counties alone, about eight people lost their lives to the floods. 

In some parts of the arid and semi-arid lands, like Marsabit, floods have displaced hundreds of people. In Nairobi city, a video of a house being swept away by raging waters of the Nairobi River emerged days after the onset of the rainy season. 

The latest flood victims are from Kisumu’s Nyalenda area, where the rains have rendered many households homeless.

The families whose houses have either been immersed in water or swept away should be accorded urgent assistance.

The national government, county governments and other agencies should come to the aid of these families that are staring at a humanitarian crisis. 

This also applies to the families driven out of their homes in the banditry-prone areas who are facing insecurity and human rights violations, besides having to contend with the effects of climate change. 

The government needs to address the plight of these people who are being stripped of their constitutional rights.

It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that, should there be a disaster, the victims get alternative shelter to preserve their dignity.