The wrath of Nyando floods as victims urge building of dykes

Dorothy Owuor, a widow, sits outside her mabati house in Kakola Ombaka village in Nyando sub-county.

The scorching sun makes it uncomfortable to sit inside an aluminum structure.

She is out passing time with other women affected by floods.

For four years now, this has been her home after the raging waters of Lake Victoria flooded her house in Owimbi village, near the shores of the lake.

When the lake swells and there’s backflow, Mrs Owuor and many other families must seek shelter on higher ground.

“The floods caused by the recent heavy rains have forced us to take refuge at the camp in Ombaka. This year alone I have been displaced twice,” Mrs Owuor said.

The floods have swept away the few crops they planted on their farms.

“We have been reduced to beggars and depend on relief food from well-wishers. At times we go hungry for days,” she said.

Within the camp, Milton Otieno is putting up a canvas structure to house his family that was displaced by floods.

A neighbour has offered a section of his land to shelter them temporarily. Once Mr Otieno is done, he will have to hire a canoe to salvage his personal belongings and relocate to the camp.

“My sickly mother, who recently had an operation, is trapped in the flooded mud house. I have to bring her to this camp for safety,” he said.

More than 200 households have been displaced by the floods in Nyando, said acting County Director for Special Programmes and Disaster Management Atieno Otieno.

Some of the areas affected by floods are Ahero market, Ombaka and Ombeyi, villages and areas around River Wigwa like Kapuothe, Nanga and Dunga.

Houses submerged

So are pockets of Kisumu Central, with the majority of houses in Nyamasaria submerged.

Affected families have moved in with relatives in safer areas, said Kakola location Chief John Ongudi.

“For now, that's how they have been surviving when the flash floods and backflow from the lake hit the Nyando area,” Mr Ongudi said.

About 150 households have not returned to their homes since the backflow started in 2019, he said.

Kisumu County is desilting some of the rivers and streams that have burst their banks.

A team led by Water and Environment executive Salmon Orimba is assessing the River Nyando and its environs.

“The national government and county engineers are here as well to assess the current causes, which include blocked waterways, and act to clear them,” Mrs Otieno.

But flood victims feel desilting is not enough

“Before these perennial floods started, I used to be actively involved in farming to me meet my family’s needs. The county and the national government need to build dykes along River Nyando so that we can go back to our ancestral land. I am tired of being a beggar and ‘refugee’ in my village,” Mrs Owuor said.

Chief Ongudi asked for the building of the Koin Soin Dam to be fast-tracked.

Upon completion, the dam will act as a sediment trap, reducing build-up downstream, the main cause of flooding, and regulating the river flow.

“The only permanent solution for the Kokola Ombaka residents is constructing dykes along the rivers feeding into the lake and constructing the Koru Soin Dam. Unless that is done, residents will continue suffering due to the floods,” he said.

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