The government has closed down all quarries and sand harvesting activities in Homa Bay County to avert injuries and loss of lives during the ongoing rainy season.
County Commissioner Moses Lilan said that the soil in most parts of the county was loose and prone to landslides.
He said 4860 families have so far been affected by floods in the county, with 1283 being displaced.
Lilan regretted that Rachuonyo North Sub-county is the worst affected by floods and is the area where sand mining takes place massively.
The worst-affected villages, he added, are Osodo and Chwowe, where large tracts of land have been submerged.
Lilan lamented that sand harvesters have left gaping craters and destroyed the road infrastructure in the sub-county.
“Sand harvesting is a serious problem affecting our land, and it also contributes to floods affecting us,” said Willis Omulo, an environmental conservation activist in the area.
The County Commissioner issued a stop order against anybody who undertakes mining in the area today at Osodo Primary School.
He was accompanied by Karachuonyo Member of Parliament Adipo Okuome, Homa Bay County Executive Committee Member Mercy Osewe (Governances), Danish Onyango (Roads), and Kenya Red Cross Society’s Samuel Omondi.
“We have issued a stop order against any mining activities in this area. Mining can cause loss of lives, injuries, and destruction of property during the ongoing bad weather,” Lilan said.
He argued that the order was arrived at after a meeting with all the relevant government agencies in the county, adding, “Our security agencies are going to be firm in ensuring the order is implemented. We want our people to be safe.”
Okuome raised similar concerns, saying sand harvesting had damaged a lot of infrastructure, including roads and electricity poles, in the area. “Sand harvesting has done a lot of harm in this area. Stopping it will cushion our people from disasters,” Okuome said.
The leaders distributed assorted relief food to flood victims camping in the school.
courtesy of the County Disaster Committee and support from the Kenya Red Cross Society.
Osewe said the county government will collaborate with the national government and other agencies to help the flood victims.
Onyango said his department will collaborate with other government agencies to restore the infrastructure damaged by the floods.
“The damages caused here require a multi-agency approach. We will collaborate to address them,” Onyango assured.
By Davis Langat
