Landslide victims from Kangema subcounty, displaced over a month ago, have finally been settled at the ACK Kiarithe church compound, relocating them from a nearby primary school, where they had initially sought shelter.
The 25 families were moved from their Musoso village, when their land started sinking as the area is prone to landslides that date back a decade.
The area Member of Parliament, Peter Kihungi, led the process of resettling the families in the newly renovated houses on the church grounds, in an event that was also graced by the Mining PS, Elijah Mwangi.
“In 1917, the first landslide happened, and it left many casualties. In 2018, after 100 years, the ground started sinking and the people were moved, albeit shortly before reoccupying their land,” he said.
A few months ago, the heavy rains we experienced triggered landslides, and the land started sinking again. We had to act first and move the people to safe ground before a catastrophe struck,” added the MP.
“We thank the church for allowing us to move the victims here and to use their infrastructure, and we also thank the Department of Special Programmes for availing the provisions for these people like food, mattresses, jikos, and clothes,” said the MP.
Kihungi noted that the victims will occupy that compound for six months as a geological survey is carried out by the Ministry of Mining, whose report will direct a plan for moving and settling them somewhere else permanently.
“We will also engage the services of counsellors so that these families can go through counselling for their psychosocial support and restore their lives,” he added.
One of the victims, 60-year-old Simon Irungu, thanked the government for relocating them and getting a shelter for them.
“Our lives have been unbearable since we lost our source of livelihood when the land started sinking and the living conditions in the school were difficult, so having a two-bedroom house for my family is a welcome relief,” said Irungu.
Irungu notes that the families lost over 1200 tea plants and thousands of coffee stems. The land started sinking in 2017, and we relocated temporarily before moving back there, only to lose our source of income.
On her part, Lucy Mwihaki Waweru, a mother of three, says that the living conditions at the school have deteriorated since schools reopened, but having some shelter in the church compound will give them some relief.
“At the school, there was no privacy, but now we will be able to await a permanent solution, so that our lives can go back to normalcy,” she said.
The residents called on the government to offer them a permanent solution.
By Florence Kinyua
