A total of 3,083 families mainly living along the escarpment and Kerio Valley will be affected by the expected el nino rains due within the short rains season from October to December.
The Kenya Red Cross Elgeyo Marakwet coordinator Abraham Cheruiyot said with the expected above normal rains predicted by the Meteorology Department, the county was expected to experience landslides and post-harvest losses.
The coordinator is therefore appealing to wananchi on landslide prone areas to move to safer grounds while calling on those whose crops have matured to harvest.
He however regretted that most crops especially in the highlands were yet to mature which means it may be difficult to salvage them from post-harvest loses.
Addressing the press in his office in Iten, Cheruiyot said the organization has already stocked adequate nonfood items as part of its preparation to deal with any emergency including training community-based response teams.
The coordinator said most parts of the Kerio Valley stretch had been mapped out as risky areas due to the wanton destruction of vegetation along the Kerio escarpment which leads to landslides once it rains due to loose soils.
Cheruiyot expressed concern that most of the destruction expected to be experienced was as a result of human activity citing the continued cultivation of food crops along the steep escarpment.
He appealed to residents to plant fruit trees and coffee along the escarpment which would not only conserve the environment and provide a lasting solution to the landslide menace but also earn them money.
The coordinator thanked the national government for allocating land to the organization saying they would construct an office and a store which would greatly assist in faster response in case of an emergency saying currently their nearest store is in Eldoret.
By Alice Wanjiru
