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At least two people died and thousands others displaced as the raging floods continue to wreak havoc across the country.

The two minors died as floods ravaged Mandera county following torrential rains that have pounded the area in the last few days.

A 12-year-old died in Kamor dam in Mandera town while swimming with colleagues while in another incident, a minor died after being swept away by flood waters in Odha, Arabia Sub-county.

 More than 2,000 families were displaced by floods in the county.

Speaking to the press, Mandera East MP Hussein Abdirahman Weytan, who described the situation as a humanitarian crisis, called on the National government, well-wishers and aid organisations to respond to the crisis and extend urgent humanitarian help to the flood victims.

 The MP said the ongoing rains have cut off essential services in the area, including public transport and the supply of goods to many towns and villages in the Mandera East constituency as major weather roads leading in and out of those areas were washed away by the rain waters.

“For the last four to five days no vehicles are getting in and out of towns and villages along the Mandera-Arabia-Lafey route since roads were either flooded or swept away altogether. Essential supplies are now dwindling in the local shops,” Weytan noted.

A local driver plying Mandera- Arabia route Mohamed Hassan said the floods have paralysed their transport businesses after roads were rendered impassable by the torrential rains. “My bus is stuck between Mandera and Arabia with perishable goods which means we are headed for huge loses,” Hassan said.

Other towns in Mandera County affected by the flooding include Arabia, Omar Jilicow, Fino, Lafey and Rhamu. “Our passengers were forced to trek more than 10 km with their goods after the bus got stuck in Ledi location, about 10 km from  Arabia town,’’ he added.

Also affected by the flash floods is air transportation. The Mandera Airstrip was deluged with rain waters forcing the local flight operators to cancel flights to and from Mandera town indefinitely.

Mandera governor Kalif Mohamed who visited the affected areas within Mandera town said a total of 100,000 families were displaced in Mandera East, Mandera North and Mandera West.

Governor Khalif urged parents to be keen on their children’s whereabouts to ensure their safety.

He said the floods and displacement of families will likely hamper the gains made on the fight against the recent cholera outbreak in the county.

The governor pointed out that the county government will immediately commence relief intervention to help the affected families.

“We will forthwith dispatch a disaster operation team to all affected areas to assess the immediate needs, to plan how the flood victims can be helped in conjunction with the national government and other aid agencies working in the county,” said the governor.

 Mandera County Commissioner Amos Mariba advised the residents living in low-lying areas to move to higher grounds before they get caught up with surging floods.

He also added that the national government will do all it can to support the county government in ensuring the affected families get immediate support.

This even as the weatherman warned Kenyans to brace for more floods during the rainy period.

Heavy rains

The Kenya Meteorological Department in an advisory statement released yesterday, indicated that the heavy rainfall being experienced over several parts of the country is expected to continue up to Saturday April 29.

 According to KMD Director Dr David Gikungu, the heavy rainfall is likely to continue over several parts of the country with a reduced intensity over the South Western and Coastal areas on Saturday 29.

 “It is likely to intensify to more than 30mm in 24hrs tomorrow 25th April, 2023 in the Central Highlands including Nairobi County, the South and Central Rift Valley, the South-eastern lowlands, off South Coast and parts of North-eastern Kenya. The rainfall is expected to spread to the North Western region and Lake Basin on Wednesday April 26,” he said.

 The department cited Embu, Nyeri, Kiambu, Nyandarua, Laikipia, Murang’a, Meru, Kirinyaga, Tharaka Nithi, Nairobi, Narok,Kisii, Homa Bay, Migori, Kisumu, Nyamira, Kericho, Bomet, Nakuru, Kitui, Machakos, Makueni, Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River,Mandera, Lamu, Mombasa, Marsabit, Isiolo, Wajir and Garissa counties as those likely to continue experiencing floods.

 The agency said the rains could be accompanied by strong winds that may cause structural damage.  “Residents in all the mentioned areas are advised to be on the lookout for potential floods. Flood waters may appear in places where it has not rained heavily, especially downstream. They are advised to avoid driving through, or walking in moving water or open fields and not to shelter under trees and near grilled windows to minimise exposure to lightning strikes,” Gikungu said.

 In Kisumu County, at least 50 households have been displaced by the raging floods occasioned by heavy downpour.

The flash floods have affected more than 700 households within seven wards in the lakeside county which is projected to rise if the rains continue.

The worst hit areas being Kolwa Central, Kolwa East, Kajulu and Nyalenda A wards in Kisumu East.

Other areas are South West and Central Kisumu wards in Kisumu West, Ombeyi, Nyalenda B and parts of the newly gazetted Kadibo Sub-county.

Several houses have been destroyed and acres of farm crops swept away by the marauding floods.

 “The current heavy rains pounding Kisumu and many other parts of the country has brought with it flooding in some of the flood hotspots in the county causing displacements and damage to properties and economic lifelines,” governor Anyang’ Nyong’o said yesterday.

And to cushion the flood victims, the county government distributed  food and non-food items worth Sh five million. The relief donation was meant to support a total of 1,200 households.

 Nyong’o while flagging off the donations announced that his administration had activated continuous assessment by the sub-county and ward disaster management teams under the patronage of a multi-agency County Disaster Committee as a stopgap response measure to the current floods.

  “The assessments carried out by these committees are critical in informing our coordinated response mechanisms,” he said.