More than 13,300 have been displaced as perennial floods continue to ravage Kano plains in Nyando Sub County of Kisumu County.
This follows the bursting of banks of river Nyando that led to submerging of homes and some schools at Ahero shopping Centre, Nyamaso area of Kokala.
The Nyanza Regional Commissioner (RC), James Kianda on Tuesday mobilized National government agencies, including National Police Service (NPS), National Youth Service (NYS), Coast guards and Kenya Red Cross personnel who assisted those affected to move to temporary shelters in schools, while other opted to stay with their relatives.
According to the RC, the Kenya Red Cross and UNICEF has started supplying those affected with non-food items as the National and County governments make arrangements for food supplies.
Kianda said the County government has undertaken to start the immediate unblocking of water canals and drainages in Ahero and West Kano rice Irrigation Schemes to hasten flow of the flood waters.
Area MP, Jared Okello has appealed to the National government to move with speed and construct water dykes upstream to control the floods.
The MP complained that although this has been in the pipeline for long, the same has never been implemented, adding to the woes of the area residents.
Also affected are newly planted rice that have been swept way, raising fears of starvation.
One of the victims, Johannes Okungu said several of his properties were swept away and appealed to government to hasten delivery of food supplies.
Kianda said the disaster committee has made a request to the National government to support the victims with food supplies, saying distribution of the same will start immediately once received.
The RC directed the Kenya Highways Authority (KeNHA) to immediately start construction of drainages channels along the Kisumu- Nairobi highway to stem the overflow of rainy waters to homes.
“Some of these waters are coming from the highway but since some drainages are blocked, the flood waters are finding their way to homes” he added.
Others area affected by the floods, include Nyalenda estate, Nanga and Dunga beach after homes were marooned.
The residents fear outbreak of waterborne diseases in the wake of the floods.
Similar cases have been reported in Nyatike, Migori and Homa bay counties where 450 families have been affected.
The problem of flooding along the beaches has been blamed on rising of water levels of Lake Victoria, with close to 78 per cent of beaches in Homa Bay remaining flooded.
By George Kaiga
