Leaders urge State to help stem Kisumu floods

Residents displaced by floods in Kisumu county want local leaders and the county government to come to their rescue and save them from their misery.

The individuals have urged Senator Tom Ojienda and local MCAs to address their plight after the floods that wreaked havoc following heavy downpour rendered them homeless.

The displaced families told KNA in an interview that they lacked food and the sanitary facilities at their temporary camps and urged relevant authorities to respond to their distress calls.

They raised concerns that outbreaks of diseases were likely unless urgent measures were put in place to improve their living conditions saying cases of malaria were already on the rise.

The residents claimed that the disaster response department was yet to respond to the crisis.

Jael Akinyi, a resident, expressed frustration with the lack of representation and neglect from elected representatives and expressed fears that children could miss school next term because they lost all the books and uniform in the flush floods.

The residents have now pleaded with both the county and the national government to dig drainage so that they can be rescued from the disaster.

In Tana River area, people residing along the upper and lower river basins have been urged to be alert over possible flash floods.

This is after the Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (Tarda) warned of possible flooding due to the ongoing heavy rains.

Tarda in a statement on Thursday warned that heavy rains within the Nyambene Hills catchment area have resulted in a significant increase in the flow of water in Tana River.

“Communities residing within the lower and upper Tana basins must heed the warnings that have been issued by the relevant authorities and take the necessary precautions to safeguard their families and property,” Tarda said in the statement. - KNA