A sombre mood engulfed Suba South Sub County as four landslide victims were laid to rest in Kaksingri West location.
Suba South Member of Parliament Caroli Omondi led the residents in a requiem mass in Sindo town.
The deceased were identified as Moses Otieno, 5, Evidon Otieno,7, Calvince Otieno, 12, and Alice Orutha, 42. Among those who perished were three children belonging to one family.
The prayer service was also attended by Members of Parliament Gideon Ochanda (Bondo), Daniel Manduku (Nyaribari Masaba) and Homa Bay County Executive Member for education Martin Opere as well as local area Deputy County Commissioner Sebastian Okiring.
Residents mourned the deceased persons as people whose lives were cut prematurely due to climate change affects.
The family of Silvance Otieno Okang’a and his wife Benta Otieno who lost the three children in the incident were overwhelmed by emotions.
Daniel Okang’a, an uncle the deceased children, said the family also lost five houses and crops in the farmland during the landslide.
He called on leaders and the government to help his brother’s family.
“Apart from the three children, my brother who was also injured lost five houses and crops in the farm. This family needs a lot of financial and material support,” Okang’a said.
The leaders who attended the prayer service attributed the landslide to environmental degradation on Gwassi Hills and called for urgent measures to conserve Gwassi Forest.
Omondi told the residents to plant trees in large numbers. “The landslide moved stones the size of a probox vehicle a distance of more than 200 metres and demolished homesteads. It was of unprecedented magnitude in this area,” the legislator said.
He said they were going to collaborate with the Kenya Forest Service to start a massive programme of planting avocado trees on Gwassi Hills to help in environmental conservation as well as generate income.
“I am in talks with the National Government to conserve Gwassi Hills. We are going to focus more on fruit trees to accord residents a source of livelihood,” Omondi said noting that the trees would combat the adverse effects of climate change.
Climate change is real and we must put measures in place to prevent it. We require concerted efforts for conserving Gwassi Hills,’ Omondi said.
He promised to lobby for 3000 pieces of iron sheet from the government to help families whose houses were destroyed by the landslide.
“I am also launching distribution relief food today for the families which were affected by the floods,” Omondi said.
Opere, who represented Governor Gladys Wanga in the function, said the county government would construct the roads which were destroyed by the floods in the area.
“I call on the clergy to pray for our people to prevent recurrence of this type of a calamity,” Opere said.
Manduku promised to donate 5000 trees when tree planting begins in Gwassi Hills.
Meanwhile, Ochanda urged residents to avoid human activities in landslide prone areas. “Anybody who lives in an area prone to landslides and flooding should move,” Ochanda said.
By Davis Langat
