The Committee on County Disaster Management and Response in Uasin Gishu County held a meeting at the County Headquarters in Eldoret, to assess on the level of the implementation of the interventions to avert the threats posed by floods caused by heavy rains.
The Committee, which is Co-Chaired by the Uasin Deputy Governor Eng. John Barorot and County Commissioner Dr. Eddyson Nyale agreed that the interventions which included expansion of spillways on the 28 identified dams that were considered as risky to life and property, opening up new drainages at flooded settlements, unclogging blocked ones among others were done and that there were no further risks anticipated.
The assessment report by the County Executive for roads and Public Works Eng Joseph Lagat, revealed that the various schools across the sub counties had damaged infrastructure including sunken pit latrines, flooded classrooms and cracked walls with risk of collapsing, which calls for immediate intervention to address the situation to ensure safety of learners as schools reopen for second term.
The Deputy Governor further in ordered the formation of six sub committees covering schools across the six sub counties of Soy, Moiben, Ainabkoi, Turbo, Kesses and Kapseret to conduct thorough assessment and to submit report which will inform the development of action plan for immediate intervention to ensure learning continues uninterrupted in the affected schools.
He pointed out that the county administration working together with national government and other stakeholders is keen on mitigating and averting possible risks to life and property caused by floods caused by the ongoing heavy rains.
Dr. Nyale said the sub committees should encompass all stakeholders which include the National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs), Sub County Directors of Education (SCDEs), National Police Service, Public Health, Public Works, Members of the County Assemblies (MCAs) and others.
“The teams to go all schools around to assess, observe and bring report for possible interventions,” noted the County Commissioner.
He called for mobilization of sufficient resources as he advised on the proper utilization of the emergency funds, National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG/CDF) and support from other stakeholders in order to cushion the people from the impacts of floods.
The County Director of Education (CDE) John Thiringi affirmed that he had a list of the affected schools noting that they have already written to administrations of the affected schools in terms of sank latrines, flooded class rooms, playgrounds and others to allow them to use any available funds in the school for emergency to arrest the situation as they mobilize for further resources from government and other stakeholders.
Health Director Dr. Evans Kiprotich expressed concern on the possibility of outbreak diseases like malaria and waterborne diseases like typhoid, cholera as a result of stagnant and contaminated waters.
He noted that the department has already dispatched monitoring teams across the places of high risk of the said diseases to conduct early diagnosis and treatment and other interventions like spraying of the suspected breeding places for disease causing microorganisms in order to prevent possible outbreak of water related infections.
By Ekuwam Sylvester
