El-Nino rains: Death toll rises to 136
Pedestrians cross a flooded street following heavy rains at Kiembeni in Mombasa on November 17, 2023.
At least 16 people have died in the El Nino floods in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 136. The floods have also killed a total of 2,500 animals in the same period.
These are 1,680 goats, 728 sheep, 12 cattle, 72 poultry, and one camel, and brought about an outbreak of cattle diseases.
Dr Raymond Omollo, Interior Principal Secretary and chairman of the National El Nino Emergency and Disaster Response Command Centre, said that the number of affected households remains at 92,432, comprising a total of 462,160 persons.
The rains, he said, have also submerged farmlands, including 6,500 hectares in riverine Tana irrigated farms in Garissa County while 3,370 acres of farmlands in Wajir County have been flooded.
“Food distribution continues across the affected counties including airdrops to inaccessible areas. 10 tonnes of assorted food items have been airlifted to Wajir this morning. KDF has also airdropped food items at Chebaso in Isiolo County,” said Dr Omollo.
Tana River, Garissa, Wajir and Mandera counties remain the worst hit, with 11 others on high alert. They include Isiolo, Kwale, Homa Bay, Makueni, Tharaka-Nithi, Lamu, Taita Taveta, Meru and Kisumu.
The rains are still expected to fall from time to time in the southern parts of the country including the counties of Narok, Homa Bay, Migori, Kisumu, parts of Kajiado, Taita Taveta, Kwale and Makueni.
However, decreased rainfall is expected in the week ending on December 6, in most parts of the country with sunny and dry conditions prevailing over the Northern half of the country.
The Interior PS also announced that the government has flown rescue boats from Mombasa to Garissa to help in evacuation and relief efforts. In a bid to manage cases of diarrhoea reported in Lamu, Garissa, Kwale, Mandera and Wajir, the government is currently dispatching cholera kits to Kenya Red Cross warehouses for distribution to 17 counties.
The kits were donated by the World Health Organisation.
Mosquito nets will also be distributed to Isiolo on Saturday, with other areas to follow soon.
“This week (November 30 to December 6), a decrease in rainfall is anticipated in most parts of the country with sunny and dry conditions prevailing over the Northern half of the country. However, occasional rainfall is expected to continue in the southern parts of the country including the counties of Narok, Homa Bay, Migori, Kisumu, parts of Kajiado, Taita Taveta, Kwale and Makueni,” said Omollo.
Dr Omollo repeated the centre’s ongoing caution for Kenyans to adhere to flood alerts and take precautions.
“The National Disaster Operations Centre can be reached on 0202151053 to report any emergency incident,” said Dr Omollo.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on Tuesday said Kenyans who cross flooded roads and bridges will lose their driver’s license and risk being sent to jail for attempted suicide.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua first revealed that out of the 98 people dead as of Monday evening, 37 had died due to “unnecessarily risking their lives” by crossing flooded sections of a river or road.
“I want to put all our drivers on notice that should we find you crossing or having crossed a dangerously flooded road, we will cancel your license and even prefer charges of attempted suicide against you,” said Mr Murkomen on Tuesday.
