Hundreds of families in Nyando Sub-County of Kisumu were forced to spend the night in the cold following flash floods which swept through their homes after the River Nyando broke its banks following a heavy downpour.
According to the affected families, the water marooned their homes at 2am making it difficult for them to salvage their items.
Millicent Akinyi, a resident of Kodero Village in Ahero, said the water swept away all her chickens and destroyed her crops.
Akinyi said the situation was dire, with Kamidumbi, Panadol, Kakola Ombaka, and Mawembe villages in Ahero also affected.
Household items dotted the Kisumu-Nairobi highway as area residents made every effort to salvage their property from the raging waters.
According to the county multi-agency disaster management committee, 1,500 households have been displaced in the area.
This brings the total number of households displaced in Kisumu County to 2,700 since the disaster struck last week.
Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang Nyong’o asked all residents in flood-prone areas to immediately move to safe grounds.
“Today we woke up to sad reports that the flooding has worsened following heavy rains last night. More homes have been flooded and crops destroyed,” he said.
Through partnership with the Kenya Red Cross and UNICEF, efforts are underway to transport all the affected families to evacuation centers set up in the area.
Nyong’o, who last week flagged off food and nonfood items to support flood victims, said with the rising numbers, the consignment was not enough.
He asked well-wishers to join the county government and donate to help mitigate the effects of the disaster.
The affected families, he said, were in dire need of water, medicine, blankets, mattresses, mosquito nets, and food, adding that as the rains continue, more families are likely to be affected.
The county government, he said, has set up a toll-free number (080072057), through which members of the public have been asked to report any incidents to ensure that no life is lost.
Officers from the county special programmes directorate, he added, have been dispatched to assess the extent of damage to homes and farms as measures to mitigate the floods are heightened.
By Chris Mahandara
