Kirinyaga County Commissioner Hussein Allasow urges residents in flood-prone areas to remain vigilant due to increased rainfall causing flash floods in Mwea East and West subcounties.
Speaking when he presided over a tree planting exercise by all heads of departments at Kerugoya Police headquarters, Allasow confirmed that no deaths had been reported. However, destruction of property and homes occurred in some of the affected areas. He further asked those who may not have alternative residents to contact local administration officers for assistance.
The commissioner insisted that the county is not known for floods which is why there is no designated rescue center. The county security department has identified temporary rescue centres at Thiba Primary and Secondary.
“We request that our people move to safer places as early as possible before being swept away. So far, no deaths have occurred but destruction of property, homes and some shops. Kirinyaga has not been experiencing floods; that is why we don’t have rescue centres, but Thiba primary and secondary schools are our rescue centres for now,” Allasow said.
On tree planting, he called on all stakeholders to incorporate tree planting into all their activities. He added that the rains being experienced currently provide the right time for tree planting, which every citizen should embark on.
Kenneth Muthuri, the county forest conservator in Kirinyaga County, said that they have joined hands with the security team to plant trees to mark the long rainy tree planting season.
Muturi noted the exercise is also to answer the clarion call from the president to have about 15 billion trees planted within the next 10 years. Last year Kirinyaga County planted about 1.6 million trees, as captured in Jazamiti app that the government is using to trace and document the data on tree planting.
“This year we are trying to go beyond a million targets annually, up to this stage we have planted about 146,000 seedlings since the start of the year. Together with the county commissioner, we launched the tree planting on the International Day of Forestry, and other planting occasions are coming,” Muthuri said.
The conservator requested that all departments make sure that they utilise the public lands, take advantage of the rains and help the country achieve the required forest cover of that percent by 2022. “We want to ensure that our mother nature doesn’t punish us for damaging it. We come together and continue planting everywhere along the roads, within government infrastructure, in the forest, in the farms.” He added
Kenya Forest is also collaborating with the Kirinyaga Youth Chapter to ensure that they capture in every ward and sub-county those areas that they are able to plant.
By Mutai Kipngetich
