A total of 40 families from the Ngobisi area in the Soy South ward of Keiyo South sub-county have been camping at the Ngobisi Primary School for the last one week after they were displaced by landslides.
The area MCA Jonah Tanui said other residents are also being housed at the Murkomet RCEA church near Turesha, as they were unable to join their counterparts after they were cut off by the landslide.
Addressing the press, the MCA said the area has been experiencing landslides during heavy rains since 2018 and called on the government to seek a permanent solution for the residents by settling them in another area where they will not have to be displaced each time it rains.
“We are calling on the national government to consider hiving off part of the gazetted forests to resettle the people and, in return, to convert the occupied area into a government forest,” he said.
Tanui called on the Kenya Forest Service to plant indigenous trees along the Kerio escarpment, which will prevent the occurrence of landslides and also supply water to the Kerio River.
“The Kerio escarpment is the source of water for the Kerio River, and its continued destruction may lead to the drying up of the Kerio River, which is the source of water for animals and irrigation, especially during the dry season,” he said.
Noting that blockage of roads has become a normal occurrence since the rains started, the MCA called on Kenya Rura Roads Authority (KERRA) to station their machines in the area to clear the debris and open up roads without any delays.
He said the blockage of roads is affecting the residents economically as they cannot transport their produce to markets.
By Alice Wanjiru
