Azimio accuses government of neglecting Kenyans as floods displace families, destroy crops

Azimio Coalition leaders have accused the Kenya Kwanza government of neglecting  Nyanza residents and hoodwinking them with non-priority projects.

Led by National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi, they faulted President William Ruto’s administration for targeting the opposition turf and diverting funds meant for mega projects in Nyanza.

The Ugunja legislator noted that it was unfortunate that Nyando residents continued to suffer from perennial flooding due to government negligence. He claimed that the government had abandoned the Sh20 billion Soin-Koru multi-purpose dam.

“I appeal to President Ruto to urgently intervene and restore the funds which were allocated in the budget for the project to kick off,” he said.

Mr Wandayi pointed out that over 5,000 people had been displaced by floods after River Nyando burst its banks and backflow from Lake Victoria.

This has forced residents to seek shelter in schools and seek refuge in the homes of relatives after their houses and farmlands were submerged.

“We are also taxpayers and should not be left to suffer for exercising our democratic rights and supporting ODM leader Raila Odinga,” said Mr Wandayi.

He said that they would push the government to embark on the construction of the dam to provide a permanent solution to the problem.

The opposition lawmaker noted it as skewed for the government to prioritise the construction of the Sh2.5 billion Kabonyo-Kanyagwal fish project in an area that is badly affected by floods.

Read: Floods update: Why deadly uplands floods cause panic in coastal counties

“The area is not accessible during rainy seasons due to floods and dilapidated roads. The government should instead focus on addressing the flood issue which is the biggest challenge for the residents,” he said.

Set to sit on 2,170 acres of land at the border of Kisumu and Kericho, the Soin-Koru multi-purpose dam with a capacity of 93.7 million cubic metres was earmarked to control perennial floods in the Nyando basin.

It is also scheduled to provide 72,000 cubic metres of water per day for domestic and institutional use and water for irrigation of 2,570 hectares of land and generation of 2.5 megawatts of hydropower.

In Bomet, at least 15 families were left stranded after heavy rains caused rivers to burst their banks.

Mr Erick Cheruiyot, the Chief Officer for Devolution and Special Programmes at the Bomet County government revealed that 15 affected families need food and medicines.

This comes as the Kenya Red Cross Society South Rift Regional Manager Felix Maiyo said in Bomet that six counties - Baringo, Nakuru, Bomet, Narok, Kericho - were affected by the floods and there was a need for residents to exercise caution.

“The immediate need is to move them to safer areas and provide them with food, medicines and mosquito nets provided by the Bomet County government," Mr Cheruiyot said, adding that Chebirir Primary School had been identified as a rescue centre.

The operation to rescue the affected families, who were faced with overflowing river banks and completely blocked roads, was supervised by officials from the Bomet County government's disaster management unit, assistant county commissioner Rehema Kiteto and volunteers from the Kenya Red Cross Society.

Mr Cheruiyot said two landslides were reported in Chemaner and Kapkimolwo areas in Bomet East constituency but no casualties were recorded.

"Governor Hillary Barchok has appealed to residents to suspend quarrying activities to prevent disasters due to the heavy rains that have been pounding the region," Mr Cheruiyot said.

He confirmed that six people had died in the last one month as a result of drowning.

"Due to the heavy rains, we have not been able to leave our homes, which are on higher ground, as the lower parts of the land are waterlogged and the water level is rising by the day. Children and the elderly are the most affected and need assistance," said Mr Haroun Ruto, a resident.

Mr Stanley Nyole, a resident said, "There is a need to harvest rainwater to avert disasters and use the resource during the dry season for irrigation, commercial and domestic use. The government must invest in rainwater harvesting mechanisms to avert such disasters".

Ms Lydia Simotwo, a resident, said it was unfortunate that no permanent solution had been offered to the perennial flooding in the area.

Speaking in Bomet during the Kenya Red Cross Society branch annual general meeting Mr Maiyo said the society was working with the county and national governments to support the families.

"The floods have led to the loss of lives, destruction of property and displacement of families in what is expected to continue for several days according to the weather forecast. There is a need for people in flood-prone areas to move to safer places," Mr Maiyor said.

Mr Maiyo, who was flanked by outgoing Southern Regional Manager Jethro Koech and Bomet branch chairman Cheruiyot Baliach, said at the meeting held at Bomet University College that Kenyans must exercise great caution while walking or driving during the ongoing heavy rains.

In Nairobi, 15 families narrowly escaped death after being rescued from a three-storey house before it collapsed on Sunday.

Starehe Deputy County Commissioner John Kisang told the Nation that the house in Mukuru-Sokoni slum in South B had so many cracks and also showed signs of tilting on one side.

Mr Kisang said this after South administrators were alerted by members of the public led by the area's assistant commissioner, Mr Solomon Wangari Muraguri, before police and National Red Cross staff arrived on the scene to assess the situation.

"We ensured that all 15 households were safely evacuated before ordering the immediate demolition of the house," Mr Kisang told the Nation. Mr Kisang said the house was built close to the Ngong River.

Makadara police boss Judith Nyongesa instructed her officers to be vigilant and ensure the safety of all tenants. 

Mr Kisang urged residents to report all cases of cracks in buildings to security officials during this rainy season.

He instructed his officers to ensure that anyone living near the Ngong River was moved to safer ground.

In the sprawling slums of Mukuru, several houses were swept away on Saturday night. More than 20 houses were destroyed in the Mukuru-Maasai slum. 

In the Bundalangi and Karanjo areas of Mukuru-Kayaba slum, toilets and bathrooms were also swept away as residents were left to count their losses.

Floods following heavy rains continue to wreak havoc on farms in Kirinyaga and Embu counties. Hundreds of acres of maize, rice, beans, green grams and other crops have been destroyed.

Farmers say famine is likely if the rains that have been pounding the area don't reduce.

In Kiamanyeki, Kiumbu, South Ngariama areas and Thiba villages in Kirinyaga County, maize and bean crops were swept away by floods after the Thiba, Murubara and Nyamindi rivers burst their banks.

"Our crops have been destroyed by the floods and we may starve, there is a lot of rain and the situation is extremely serious," said one of the farmers from Kiamanyeki village.

In Karaba and Marura, floods have destroyed more than 70 hectares of rice and displaced 800 people. Farmers are now counting their losses.

Read: More rains expected after weeks of deadly flooding - Met 

One farmer, Ms Mary Wamucumari of Karaba, said all her four acres of rice had been wiped out by the floods.

"I have lost my entire rice crop to the floods, the situation is really bad," she said.

 In the villages of Githogondo, Thiba and Kiamanyeki, residents have been displaced after floods submerged their homes.

They are now being accommodated by good Samaritans.

In Embu, residents of Mbeere have suffered heavy losses after floods destroyed some of their crops. The worst affected area is Mbeere South, where green gram and maize are widely grown.

In Homa Bay County, uncertainty hangs over two primary schools currently hosting hundreds of families displaced by floods ahead of as schools reopen for the second term on Monday.

The government had given families staying at Osodo and Kobuya Primary Schools until Sunday to move out of the institutions to pave the way for learning. Osodo Secondary School is also affected.

But a Nation spot check revealed that the families were yet to vacate the schools by Sunday.

 Osodo Primary School head teacher Walter Owino said the current situation was likely to disrupt learning at the school.  

 He said the institution has a total population of 750 learners, some of whom are currently living in classrooms with their parents.

 "At least 400 people have come to seek shelter in the school. Most of the children are not revising their academic materials because some have lost their books," Mr Owino said.

 According to the head teacher, the families will have to leave before learning can resume.

 Mr Owino has called on the government and humanitarian agencies to provide tents for the affected families to use as temporary shelter.

 Kobala Sub-location Assistant Chief George Oburu said the affected families had been camping at the schools for two weeks.

 He said it is likely that the families will continue to stay in the classrooms for the next few weeks as the Kenya Meteorological Department has warned that more rains are expected.

 "We appeal to both the national and county governments as well as non-governmental organisations to come to the aid of the affected families. The affected families will have nowhere to go when schools reopen," he said.

  Reports by Victor Raballa, George Munene, Sammy Kimatu, Vitalis Kimutai and George Odiwuor