Govt issues advisory after floods wreak havoc in Kisumu County

The government has issued an advisory following the floods which wreaked havoc in isolated parts of the country including in Kisumu County where Ahero town in Nyando Sub-County was adversely affected on Friday, November 29, 2024.

In a statement on Saturday, November 30, 2024, the Ministry of Interior and National Administration said that counties in the Lake Victoria Basin and North Western regions have experienced heavy rainfall resulting in isolated cases of flooding.

The Ministry indicated that current rains were similarly causing destruction in other areas in North Eastern, South Eastern, Coast, Central and South Rift Valley regions where storms are anticipated over the weekend but expected to subside.

“Evacuation is ongoing in areas such as Kapuothe, Nanga, Lower Katuoro, Wigwa, and part of Dunga in Kisumu Central Sub- County where about 200 households have been affected and approximately 100 acres of crops washed away,” the Interior Ministry said.

Humanitarian efforts

Adding: “A total of 47 households are being hosted at Nanga Primary school and are receiving humanitarian support from the State Department for Special Programmes and Redcross and other agencies. In Kisumu East Sub-County, a total of 140 households have been affected by floods. The affected villages include Onjweru, Kanyawade, Kaloo, Kodie, Awuor Ajwang’ Kodeyo, Alara, Kowuore, Kabuong Kanyawade, Kamiendi and part of Kachola.

The Ministry remarked that disaster response teams coordinated by National Government Administration Officers are monitoring the situation in various parts of the country and providing support to those affected.

They also noted that residents of flood-prone areas who may be temporarily relocated for their safety are urged to cooperate with these response teams.

“With our children at home during the holiday season, extra caution is advised to ensure everyone stays safe,” the Ministry advised.

River Nyando overflow

This followed heavy rains which pounded Nyando Constituency in Kisumu, displacing hundreds of families and sweeping away acres of crops in its wake.

On Friday, November 29, 2024, Nyando Deputy County Commissioner Elijah Maranga indicated that an estimated 350 households had been affected so far with the number expected to rise.

This was after River Nyando burst its banks, leading to the flooding of plains in the adjacent areas of the town. Maranga, however, assured motorists that the Ahero bridge along the Kisumu-Nairobi highway was still passable.

“The road is currently passable, but we fear that with continued rains, there will be an overflow on the Ahero bridge affecting transport. We urge residents to remain vigilant and relocate to higher grounds to avoid loss of lives and property destruction,” Maranga advised.