The Turkana county government and humanitarian organisations among them Kenya Red Cross Society and Sapcone on Monday started distribution of food supplies to families affected by floods.
On Monday 200 households at Nakwamekwi village received 10 kilogrammes of maize and an equal amount of beans.
The Deputy County Secretary, Robert Loyelei urged people living in low lying areas to relocate to higher grounds.
However, residents complained that they are yet to be shown areas to relocate to.
“Where are we supposed to go?,” posed one of the residents, Mary Akiru.
Loyelei said the County Government will support the flood-affected households and public schools with foodstuff and non-food items.
The flooding occured after River Turkwel burst its banks and swept away villages, livestock and flooded the town and caused public and private property losses worth millions.
The flood also affected both the water and power supply.
Loyelei, who is also the chair of the emergency response committee, said that the county government and various partners were ready to implement their plans to assist those affected by the disaster.
“We will be targeting 400 households with two months of food rations of maize, beans and cooking oil. The county government will be supplying food and our partners will also assist with foodstuff and non-food items,” he said.
He added that the County Government will also be providing water with bowsers to the most affected areas until the water supply to the town and its environs has been restored.
A team from the county and the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar has been constituted to resolve the water supply problem especially the repairing of the boreholes.
So far four out of the nine boreholes have been restored and running on solar including borehole 8 serving Namariat and parts of Trans Africa and boreholes No. 1A, 1B and 3 serving Resource Centre, Lodwar town and Napetet.
“Two water bowsers will be used to provide water to Ngirokipi and Ngilukumong in Nakwamekwi after a solution is found to treat water from boreholes,” Loyelei, said.
“Currently, the water is being treated in the reservoir tanks before being released to the public,” he said
Nakwamekwi remains a challenge as the area was adversely affected by the flood, the electricity poles washed away and still inaccessible.
While appealing for more assistance from partners, Loyelei said Kenya Red Cross and UNICEF have already donated 400 family kits (household utensils and beddings), 1500 water jerry cans, 200 buckets, 30 cartons of bar soap and 45 litres of Chlorine.
The Catholic Diocese of Lodwar has donated 30 bags of maize, 20 of beans, five 20-litre jerry cans of cooking oil and three bales of clothes, while World Vision has also provided 100 family kits, 160 cartons of bar soap.
The World Food Programme will support irrigation schemes affected by floods by providing each farmer with a fork jembe and a hoe to assist with desilting of the canals and ploughing of the farms.
The first recipient of food was St. Kevin Secondary School with 10 bags of maize, two bags of beans and two jerry cans of cooking oil with the assurance getting more in the coming days.
“We would like the students to resume with their normal studies especially the form fours who will be starting their KCSE examinations soon,” said Loyelei.
Meanwhile, the team has embarked on taking food supplies to 184 households in Ngilukumong, Nakwamekwi, Ngirokipi and Kanamkemer.
By Peter Gitonga
