Over 60 families who are victims of the Monday night floods in Ol-jorai in Gilgil Sub County have been evacuated from their homes to avert any further disaster during this rain season
Gilgil Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Ms. Rebecca Muturi and her security team spent part of the day on Wednesday touring the affected area to assess the magnitude of the damage caused on the Ol-jorai area by the Monday night floods.
The team was accompanied by area Member of Parliament (MP) Martha Wangare who gave the victims some foodstuffs.
Ms. Muturi said nine houses were completely washed away by the floods and many of the victims whose homes were destroyed were being hosted by their neighbours and friends.
The DCC said they were working with the County Government to open up the drainages, de-silt water sources, improving sanitation and meeting the health needs of the victims in order to avert outbreak of any waterborne diseases.
Seven people, including four children were killed and six injured in a flash flood that rocked Kambi Hindi village in Ol-jorai in Gilgil Sub County on Monday.
Gilgil Sub- County Police Commander Mr. Francis Tumbo said the families were in their houses at around 8:00pm when a downpour set in causing flash floods in the area.
Among those killed include two women, one man and four children aged between eight months and 10 years. The floods left in its wake a trail of destruction including killing tens of livestock.
It has now been confirmed that the floods displaced over 60 families who have now been left homeless with nine houses being washed away completely. They are among families that have settled on the former Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) farm in Ol-jorai. But experts now say the affected families had settled on a waterway and need to be moved.
Residents say the floods were caused by a downpour in the upper areas of Eburu forcing the raging waters to flood their village downstream.
Heavy rains in several parts of the country have led to an increase in water levels of rivers, causing flooding and displacement of people.
After the onset of the rains, the country is on high alert in flood-prone regions of the country, with the government setting up evacuation centres in places like Nyando in Kisumu County.
Data from the Kenya Red Cross shows over 12 people have so far lost their lives in the country and hundreds of household’s displaced by raging floods after rains set in last week.
The prolonged drought in the country had transcended five seasons in some areas causing massive loss of livestock and starvation and malnutrition among the affected populations
It’s estimated that more than five million Kenyans were affected by the drought in more than 24 counties and more that 2.4 million livestock and wildlife killed by the drought.
By Mabel Keya – Shikuku
