Bomet County, through the Department of Disaster Management, has developed a contingency plan to aid an emergency response team upon the onset of El Niño rains, expected to begin mid-October to December this year.
Among the emergencies identified in the five sub-counties are flooding, landslides, lightning strikes, and falling quarries.
Through the department, the county government has rolled out mass education on El Niño preparedness to ensure the safety of its residents.
The county has also set up a command centre to coordinate emergency response during the season.
“We have mobilised a team of emergency response personnel, including clinical officers and nurses, and purchased food and non-food items as well as other volunteers to help us when need arises during the rainy season,” County Chief Officer for Devolution and Special Programmes Eric Cheruiyot said.
In April this year, parts of Chepalungu experienced a series of floods that left over 700 families in the cold.
The rains that pounded the area saw mud-walled buildings collapse while the water sank latrines, rendering Bingwa and Siongiroi locations unfit for human occupation.
However, the disaster department has come up with mitigation measures to avoid the recurrence of the same.
Families residing in these hotspot areas have been cautioned and enlightened to avoid losing their lives and properties.
On the other hand, the government has urged the residents to use the rains for agricultural purposes.
By Lamech Willy.A.
