At least one person has died, 37 households displaced and property of unknown value destroyed following heavy rains that pounded Mukaa Subcounty in Makueni County on Sunday night.
Among the affected areas include 17 households in Kawese, 10 households each in Vombo and Kwale Villages in Kasikeu Ward, and 10,000 acres of crops waterlogged.
“We conducted a needs assessment on Monday in Wote town and Kasikeu in Kilome and established that several households have been displaced from their homes. They need food and non-food items like mosquito nets, tents, mattresses, and bar soap, among other items,” said Evans Peter, the Kenya Red Cross Society’s Makueni County Coordinator, on Tuesday morning in his Wote town office.
The assessment that was done by the Kenya Red Cross and the County Disaster and Emergency Department of the County Government of Makueni established that one person drowned while crossing the river Kaluku, and his body is yet to be recovered.
Also, 11 and 17 households in Kunda Kindu and Shimo Estates were affected after storm water filled their rented rooms and property of unknown value destroyed.
When KNA visited the area, they established that there is a likelihood of an outbreak of waterborne diseases since the toilets that they are using are filled with water.
The road network in Ndiani-Kilungu and Kavuthu-Sultan-Kasikeu has been disrupted, preventing many residents from accessing the nearby markets in the area.
When contacted for comment, Makueni County Commissioner (CC), Mr. Henry Wafula, urged people living in low areas to move to higher ground to avert loss of lives because of the increased rainfall being received across the county.
Wafula assured Wananchi that both the national and county governments are monitoring the floods across the county through the county disaster committee and national administration units, adding that they will offer assistance to the affected victims.
“We are advising people to move to higher ground to avoid being washed away by the raging floods. They should avoid crossing flooded rivers. The two levels of government are working closely and are ready to provide any assistance accordingly,” said Wafula while talking to KNA in his Wote office on Tuesday.
By Patrick Nyakundi
