A view of Ahero town in Kisumu County after River Nyando burst its banks in this picture taken on November 29, 2024.
The perennial floods witnessed in parts of Nyanza and Western regions have continued to displace hundreds of people and destroyed property following the recent rains.
The situation is dire after more than 300 families from Nyadina village in Nyakach, Kisumu County, were displaced after River Sondu Miriu burst its banks following a night of heavy rains.
This comes just days after thousands of residents were also displaced following rains upstream of River Nyando, causing severe flooding in downstream areas.
This left a trail of destruction with crops and cattle swept away by the raging waters.
The rains caused an overflow at Ahero bridge on the Kisumu-Nairobi Highway, submerging homes, businesses, farmland and critical infrastructure.
Despite the situation recurring and the Metrological Department reports on the weather updates, many families were left stranded and in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
In Sondu, the Monday rains left Nyadina village in Kisumu county underwater with more than 500 acres of crops laid to waste.
According to Kakola Ombaka Assistant Chief Neto Awich, at least 78 households have been displaced in the flood-prone Kakola Location and residents had been advised to leave their homes since Friday night.
“The displaced individuals are currently seeking refuge at homesteads of their neighbours and relatives on higher ground,” said Mr Awich, adding that at least 200 poultry had been swept downstream with hundreds of acres of farmland destroyed.
Although the government has in the past put in place mitigating measures to address the situation, locals are questioning the effectiveness of the measures as they are forced to move to higher grounds every time there are floods. Every rainy season, it seems, there is death, destruction and disease outbreaks.
For the thousands of residents in the area, the planned construction of the multi-billion Koru Soin Project Dam gave them a ray of hope that their problem would be addressed after years of pleas to the government.
Their expectation was not only to solve the perennial flood menace downstream but also to enjoy the benefits of a project to erase the memories of a high-profile crime that was committed at the foot of Got Alila in Koru, Muhoroni Sub-County.
But 34 years down the line, their hopes have been dashed after the stalling of the Sh25 billion project, which was to be constructed at the same place where the badly burnt body of former minister Dr Robert Ouko was found on February 13, 1990.
Failure to kickstart the project has had the people living in the two counties suffer from floods every time there is heavy rainfall.
As of Tuesday this week, Interior Principal Secretary (PS) Dr Raymond Omollo announced that the floods that have hit the region in the last two weeks had killed 12 people, displaced more than 3,970 households, and disrupted transport and agriculture.
Apart from the fatalities and displacement, Dr Omollo stated that one person who was swept by the raging waters is still missing.
A section of Ahero town, Nyando Sub-County, submerged in flash floods from River Nyando on November 29, 2024.
Dr Omollo also indicated that over 20 counties have been hit, with Kisumu being the most affected.
In Bunyala Sub-County, Dr Omollo visited Lunyofu Primary School, which currently shelters 500 displaced households.
He supervised the distribution of food and non-food items, including rice, beans, blankets, and medical kits, underscoring the government’s commitment to the safety and recovery of affected families.
Acknowledging that more than 3,000 households in Busia have been impacted by the floods, the PS emphasised the need for sustainable resettlement in secure areas.
He also announced plans for infrastructure development, including the extension of a dykes and the construction of an upstream dam which is 4-5 Kilometers to regulate water flow and support irrigation and household use.
The recurrence of the floods in the Nyando basin has been attributed to the lack of a permanent solution which includes the construction of the dam.
When Nation.Africa visited the hill late last year, two contractors, China Jiangxi International Kenya Limited and China Jiangxi International Economic and Cooperation Company Ltd. joint venture had started moving construction equipment to the site.
What had been done was clearing the famous hill to pave the way for the construction and some staff quarters for the site contractor and workers had already been constructed.
The place where Dr Ouko’s body was found has transformed, especially after the bushes and trees next to the River Nyando were cleared by the heavy trucks and excavators that had descended on the place. Very few people can easily point to the exact place where the former minister’s remains were recovered.
The Koru-Soin dam is a Vision 2030 flagship project expected to serve Kisumu and Kericho counties running from the slopes of Got Alila in Muhoroni and the slopes of Koitatui Hill in Soin, Kericho County.
The government had already started compensating landowners since the multi-purpose dam which is to sit on 2,170 acres of land at the border of Kisumu and Kericho counties had displaced at least 1,200 people.
The government had released Sh2.2 billion to settle 1,100 people and buy 455 land parcels within the reservoir area.
But to date, little is being seen on the ground with leaders making numerous proposals to kick start the important project with some suggestions of a possible public-private partnership.
“We need to sort out this situation once and for all even if it means involving some investors as has been proposed by the Kisumu Woman Representative. The funds needed to construct this dam should be more than Sh20 billion and we cannot depend entirely on the revenue raised through taxes to fund the project. If we do, it will mean waiting for many years while our people continue to suffer,” said Dr Omollo.
He was responding to a proposal by Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga who had cited budget challenges as the major impediment to the construction of the dams which has stalled for decades.
Residents of Ahero town, Nyando Sub-County, wade through floodwaters on November 29, 2024.
Currently, the project is fully funded by the government.
He pointed out the sad situation where some people were still in the camps six years later because their houses were flooded.
Dr Omollo, however, stressed the need to consult the public first before embarking on the implementation of the idea since to him the construction of dams would be a permanent solution to the flooding downstream, and not dyking.
“Let us always reduce the noise and instead welcome projects first and not reject them even before we understand what they are all about. We will however consult the public first,” said Dr Omollo.
The government will also immediately embark on a resettlement programme for those displaced by moving people away from danger and expanding areas under agriculture to address food security.
Other mitigation measures that will be prioritised will include the rehabilitation and construction of dykes, afforestation, and construction of Koru-Soin Dam.
The dam, which is supposed to be about five kilometres upstream of Muhoroni Town and across River Nyando consists of an embankment and associated structures, a hydropower generation plant and a raw water treatment plant.
Once completed, the dam will have a storage capacity of 93.7 million cubic meters, supply 72, 000 cubic meters of water for domestic use, irrigation of 2, 570 Hectares of land and generate 2.5 Megawatts of hydropower.
The flow of water in the Nyando River will also be regulated throughout the year.
Residents from the flood-prone areas were, however, warned that while the rains are expected to subside soon they must remain vigilant and adhere to government safety directives. This includes avoiding hazardous zones including dams, roads and bridges deemed unsafe and following evacuation notices.
Dr Omollo also discussed long-term strategies with local leaders, including improved early warning systems, afforestation, enhanced drainage infrastructure, and community education on flood risk management.
He was speaking at Ogenya in Kadibo Sub County, Kisumu on Tuesday after he assessed flood-affected regions in Busia and Kisumu counties to evaluate the extent of damage, oversee the distribution of relief supplies, and engage with displaced families.
Ogenya Displaced Persons Camp is housing 1,973 households.
The Interior PS was accompanied by Ms Odinga, Muhoroni MP Onyango K'oyoo, his Budalangi counterpart Raphael Wanjala and Nyanza Regional Commissioner Flora Mworoa as the government intensified its disaster response efforts.
Ms Odinga said she was on the budget committee and having checked at the allocation towards the project, it was not sufficient to complete it.
President William Ruto, while on an earlier visit to Kisumu stated that he had a conversation with the county government of Kisumu on how best the Koru/Soin dam issue can be unlocked and this included a change of design.
According to him, the dam will take a long time to complete if the government sticks to the current design.
He proposed a change in the model of construction of the dam for two reasons, establishing a new design that will not only stop flooding but allow harnessing and harvesting of the water for irrigation.
