19 dead as rains pound country

19 dead as rains pound country

What you need to know:

  • In Turkana County on Saturday, the authorities were still unable to account for three elderly women who were living in a makeshift structure near River Kolotum that was washed away. 
  • Yakub Ibrahim, a village elder at Mukuru Kayaba said River Mutoine had risen by more than 10 metres cutting off one section of the slum because the only bridge had become impassable.

Heavy rains pounding the country have left in their wake death, destruction of infrastructure and questions about the level of preparedness in what is becoming a cyclical poor response to disasters. 

By Saturday evening, the death toll had reached 19 countrywide after two days of heavy downpour with the weatherman predicting even more rainfall for the next three days.

Nairobi, which has so far received the highest amount of rainfall according to the Meteorology Department has also recorded the highest number of causalities, after 13 people were confirmed dead Saturday from a collapsed building in Huruma bringing the death toll to 16.

In Turkana County on Saturday, the authorities were still unable to account for three elderly women who were living in a makeshift structure near River Kolotum that was washed away.  

In Lodwar, the county’s headquarters was also cut off from Kitale after sections of the highway were flooded, leaving motorists stranded for hours with the Kenya Red Cross saying at least 300 households in Turkana were left homeless after their houses were submerged.

The rescue agency also said 69 people are still missing in Nairobi as a result of the flash floods; with 1,050 families from the informal settlements being forced to spend Friday night in the cold after rising waters from nearby rivers filled their houses.

“At least 81 injuries have been reported as a result of floods in different areas of Nairobi,” said the Red Cross in a statement released Saturday evening.

“Among the areas in Nairobi that were most affected include parts of South C, Fuata Nyayo, Mukuru, Land Mawe, and Kinyago slums,” it said.

Yakub Ibrahim, a village elder at Mukuru Kayaba said River Mutoine had risen by more than 10 metres cutting off one section of the slum because the only bridge had become impassable.

“We haven’t received any deaths yet but the news won’t be so good for long if it continues raining this way, because 300 houses are uninhabitable at the moment,” he said.

WHO TO BLAME?
Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero was on the receiving end on Saturday after residents who spent hours sitting in traffic on Friday night due to flooding on Thika Road, Argwings Khodek and Jogoo road vented their frustration on social media.

The governor told residents to take part of the blame since their littering had blocked the city’s storm water drainage systems causing perennial flooding whenever it rains.

“Residents are urged to dispose their solid waste responsibly, as this poses the biggest challenge to drainage system. The Nairobi City County Government also advices that fees for minor domestic drainage clearing, improvement and maintenance works have been waived during this period,” said the governor.

Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko blamed corruption in the county government for allowing the construction of buildings in riparian land, which was denying flood waters space to drain out of the city.

“It is sad we continue to lose precious lives because of corruption. When a similar incident occurred awhile back, we told the county government to institute measures to correct this but unfortunately owners of these buildings bribe their way around,” he said.

PROPERTY DESTROYED

In Marsabit, more than 2,000 goats and 10 donkeys were swept away in Bejello village in Marsabit by raging floods. Laisamis MCA Mohamud Kochale told the Sunday Nation that the rain also left seven families homeless.

Still in the county, houses belonging to 20 families were washed away in Manyatta Willy village.

Dorothy Njeri Mwangi, a resident, said all her belongings were destroyed hence having nowhere to go.

“My children are reporting back to school next week and their books and uniform have been swept away,” she said.

Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) warned that there was a likelihood of contamination of fuel at service stations. Its Chairman John Ngumi asked motorists to exercise caution when purchasing fuel.

Report by Vincent Achuka, Ken Bett, Silas Apollo