Most parts of the Country have been experiencing heavy rainfall and severe flooding leading to deaths, displacement and damage to crops, roads, homes, and other key infrastructure.
The weatherman has warned that the rains are set to continue for the rest of this month and has cautioned those in high-risk areas to evacuate for their own safety.
In Kiambu, the devastation caused by the rains have seen its Governor Kimani Wamatangi move swiftly and establish a disaster management team that will be tasked with coordinating rescue operations, sanitation efforts and the provision of essential services to affected residents.
This move comes after at least 2 people died as a direct result of the heavy rainfall.
In Kinoo a young man succumbed to injuries after being electrocuted by a fallen electricity line along Makutano Ginduri road. After a night of heavy rainfall, an electric pole broke leaving live wires exposed that hit the deceased who was walking by on his way home.
In Ruaka, Kiambaa Sub- County, a section of a perimeter wall of a residential apartment collapsed on an adjacent informal residential structure resulting in the death of one person and injuring another.
A third person was rescued during the operation by the county government’s disaster management team.
Speaking at the scene of the incident, Kiambu Governor said his administration is working tirelessly to prevent further loss of lives.
“My administration will continue inspecting all buildings from the construction stage to completion, as well as monitoring the safety of all structures, to ensure that such tragic occurrences are avoided at all costs.
In Limuru sub-county, hundreds have had to be evacuated after heavy rainfall submerged their houses leaving them with little choice but to abandon their homes. Areas adversely affected are Manguo swamp and villages such as Kwambira, Kamirithu, Farmers and Karanjee.
A Multi-agency team from the national Government and the Kiambu disaster management team moved swiftly to evacuate some 50 families and temporarily put them up in social halls in other Sub -Counties as they wait for the floods to subside.
As a precaution, Wamatangi has called upon the Department of Lands, Housing, and Physical to supervise the immediate evacuation of residents living in high-risk areas until the integrity of those areas is certified and the rains abate.
Further efforts by the County Government to alleviate danger caused by the floods have seen it strategically deploy equipment to every Sub-County to assist in unclogging drainages and culverts.
Additionally, evacuation centres have been established in various locations such as Churches, Schools, Vocational Training Centres and ECDE centres to provide temporary shelter and aid to displaced families.
By Xavier Brian
