Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has said that the government has allocated enough funds to help affected communities in the country during this period of El Nino rains.
“We will also ensure that the displaced households are catered for until such a time when the situation around floods improves,” Machogu added.
Machogu was speaking in Wang’chieng Ward within Karachuonyo Constituency in Homa Bay on Monday during the distribution of relief food and supplies to communities that were affected by floods.
He appreciated the efforts by the County Government of Homa Bay together with partners in addressing the effects of floods in the communities and promised that the national government will always prioritise the management of disasters.
On the just-released Kenya Certificate of Primary Education results, Machogu commended the exemplary performance of students in Homa Bay and assured parents that no learner will miss a place in secondary school.
Among the supplies that were distributed to the affected communities in Rachuonyo North were 200 bags of rice, 50 bags of beans, 150 blankets, 10 boxes of bar soap, jikos, and sanitary towels, among other essentials.
Homa Bay County Commissioner Moses Lilan, on the other hand, noted that Karachuonyo Constituency has always been affected during rainy seasons as a result of flooding and overflowing of the River Miriu coupled with the fast-flowing water of Lake Victoria.
“The areas bordering Lake Victoria, including Wang’chieng, have always been hit hard during rainy seasons, especially El Nino,” he said.
The County Commissioner appreciated the response by the national government in providing relief food and other essential supplies to the victims of El Nino rains and informed them that the county government has also made strides to address the situation through the formation of a joint disaster committee and donations.
“Mr. Machogu, your coming here is a testament to the national government’s preparedness in terms of addressing disasters as a consequence of El Nino. At the county level, we have had partnerships under the umbrella of the inter-agency disaster response, where we have the county government, Kenya Red Cross, and many others,” he informed.
About 7, 814 households have been displaced following the heavy rains that have pounded Homa Bay County ever since the onset of El Nino rains, with Karachuonyo constituency having the largest number of 1, 740 displaced households.
Lilan stated that the heavy rains have also led to the submerging of 8,690 acreages of land and the displacement of 1,980 livestock.
The areas that have been affected most in Homa Bay include Karachuonyo Constituency (Osodo, Kobala, Kobuya, and Simbi areas), Homa Bay Sub-County (Rangwena, Lower Kanyach, Nyalkilnyi, and North Kanyabala), Ruma, Kaksingri, Nyatoto, and areas around the Lambwe Valley.
Lilan averred that besides the displacement of people, several roads and bridges have also been destroyed by the heavy rains followed by floods, adding, “Generally, we have a huge problem with floods, and I think there is a way of mitigating these.”
By Sitna Omar
