Chopper, speed boats evacuate flood victims in Nyando

Rescue operations are currently still ongoing in Nyando for families marroned by floods in their homes after River Nyando broke its banks Saturday evening.

Kenya Red Cross response team in collaboration with the County Government of Kisumu and Kenya Coast Guard Service are currently responding distressed families in Kobura village.

Red Cross said as at 7pm, the air and aqua rescue operations had evacuated 10 people in Nyando and seven in Kadibo subcounties where over 40 people had been marooned across 20 households.

County communications chief officer John Oywa said a KWS helicopter was aiding in the uplifting of victims in parts of Nyando.

He noted that the Coast Guard also brought in two boats to aid in the mission.

A number of families were still camped by the roadside for the better part of the day after floods drove them out of their homes.

Mud houses collapsed in various villages where people remain marooned within their homes.

The families, some with their belongings, sat by roadsides waiting for water to subside or for evacuation to alternative places.

Along the Kisumu-Nairobi highway, can be seen submerged in water as mothers sit under umbrellas with their children.

One John Auko told the media that they spent the night in the cold after floods invaded their homes Saturday night.

The 68-year-old said he had to evacuate his family from their flooded home, expressing fear that the problem will not end soon.

He said he managed to salvage some items and moved his cattle to safety but lost all his chickens.

Kisumu Central MP Joshua Oron visited the affected families to organise on how they can be assisted.

Oron, a native of Nyando, noted that the floods had left a trail of destruction and the problem needed concerted efforts from all the leadership including the national government.

"I want to appeal to the government that they need to bring the much needed food and non-food items, temporary shelter, treatment and medicine among other basic needs," he said.

This, he said, was a national disaster with more than 15,000 people affected.

MP Oron said they are going to mobilise resources together with others and will be back within the constituency on Monday to assist the affected families.

"We have assessed the situation and the destruction is massive, the numbers are high," he said.

Together with Ahero MCA who is also the Majority leader in the Kisumu County Assembly, Ken Ooko, and Majority Whip, Seth Kanga, the MP told the people that they are in solidarity with them.

Ooko called on the Ministry of Roads to visit the area and asess the Nyando bridge because they have seen a huge crack on it.

"We are calling upon the national government, ministry for roads to move with speed and asses the situation before it gets worse," he said.

Already, the county government of Kisumu has established a command centre at Ahero county hospital.

Currently,traffic police have managed to clear traffic congestion that had built up within the area as a result of the overflow of water from River Nyando which flooded Ahero bridge.