Elgeyo Marakwet County has today launched the El-Niño inter-agency preparedness contingency committee comprising of the Kenya Red Cross Society, and the national and county government to respond to any calamities related to the rains.
Keiyo North DCC Julius Maiyo said the county has set up a command centre to coordinate rescue and relief activities with the following toll-free numbers which residents should use to report any incidents, 1199, 0720 903030, 0728 602502 and 0704 220220.
This comes as the county continues to suffer the effects of the current El-Niño rains which has left two people dead after they were swept away by raging waters while 3,500 households in 37 villages have been affected.
The area governor Wisley Rotich named several villages among them Turesha, Biretwo, Kibendo, Arror and Upper Sambirir located along the hanging valley which cuts across the county as some of the most affected and will continue to suffer the effects of the rains currently pounding the county.
Speaking during the launch of the committee at his office, the governor said 35 animals have also been buried alive by floods saying as the rains intensify more calamities were expected to hit the county.
The governor said the committee has embraced the use of a geospatial information system which shows live updates on the El-Niño prevalence in the county and urged those living in waterways and landslide-prone areas to move to safer grounds.
He, however, encouraged farmers to take advantage of the ongoing rains and plant short-term crops and heed the call from the president to plant trees in addition to establishing water pans to store water for irrigation and domestic use during the dry season.
By Alice Wanjiru and Blessed Kemboi
