Over 70,000 Coast residents affected by floods

At least 10,271 households with approximately 70,000 people, have been affected by the three-day torrential rains in the six counties of the Coast region.

Coast regional commissioner Rhodah Onyancha said Tana River county is the most affected after floods displaced 5,100 families.

“In fact, in Tana River, we are talking about the displacement because we are moving people to higher grounds. Right now in Tana River, you'll find most of the displaced communities camping along the roads because much of the farmlands or the areas where they were living have been affected by the overflow from River Tana,” she said.

In Tana River, residents have heeded calls by the government to move to higher grounds as most of their villages have been marooned by the floods.

Onyancha said Mombasa, which is an urban setting, has 3,892 families affected, out of which 300 have been rendered homeless.

The most affected areas of Mombasa include Bamburi, Kiembeni, Junda and Utange in Kisauni constituency, and Likoni, Nyali and Changamwe constituencies.

“So far, 3,892 households have been affected and around 300 households have lost their dwelling. Two deaths occurred yesterday [Friday]. We lost one child due to flooding and a 19-year-old who was electrocuted,” Onyancha said.

Leonida Atieno, a Form 4 candidate at Kajembe Secondary School in Mikindani, lost her life after she stepped on a live electricity wire in Bangladesh slum near her home.

Kwale county has so far recorded three deaths, including two Kenya Revenue Authority officials whose car was swept away by raging floods at River Ramisi. Some 681 households have been affected by the floods in the county.

Kilifi county, which is prone to flooding, has recorded 204 households that have been affected, especially in Kilifi South.

“We've had three deaths in Kilifi associated with the rains,” Onyancha said.

In Lamu county, 305 households have been affected by floods.

On Saturday, Lamu Governor Issa Timamy, the Kenya Red Cross and the Al Kheir Foundation struggled to supply relief food supplies and non-food items to more than 300 families marooned in Lumsh village.

The village is completely cut off by floods.

“Despite the rains in Lamu, we've not lost any life,” Onyancha said.

Taita Taveta has the least number of affected households at 89. No life has been lost in the county.

A multi-agency team has been established to monitor the happenings in the coastal region and ensure the safety of residents in flood-prone areas.

Onyancha said they are working closely with the National Government Administration Officers (Ngao), the National Police Service, the Kenya Red Cross Society, the Kenya Coast Guard, the World Food Programme, county governments, Kenya Power, and the ministries of Education and Transport.

"We also agreed that we are going to come up with a multi-agency assessment team, which will involve all the stakeholders including the county governments. That way, we will be able to assess how many families have been affected and what we require to reach out to them," she said.

The Kenya Red Cross has been mandated to work closely with county governments and spearhead the issuance of non-food items to the affected families.

The World Food Programme will support the teams by tracking the items needed to be moved from one place to another. The WFP will provide mobile storage facilities, which will be used to store the food.

Kenya Power has been asked to improve its emergency response.

“Because of the situation on the ground, we might have electricity poles falling or hanging electricity wires that are a danger to the people. KPLC will take the responsibility of ensuring they respond quickly so that we do not lose more lives,” Onyancha said.

The Kenya National Highway Authority and the Kenya Urban Roads Authority were given the responsibility of unclogging the drainage systems.

The Kenya Coast Guard will work closely with the Beach Management Units committee to address any emergencies because there are people who still going to the beaches despite the rains.

The National Police Service will be vigilant to ensure those who are moving to higher grounds do not lose their property.