Floods and landslides in the North Rift region have killed 15 people and displaced more than 2,000 from their homes.
In Baringo, seven police officers died when their lorry was swept away by floodwaters on Friday. Six bodies have been recovered.
In Trans Nzoia, four people died in Marinda village while in West Pokot two people were killed as rivers broke banks and swept through homes.
Hundreds of people were displaced from their homes in parts of Trans Nzoia as more than 250 others faced the same predicament in Turbo constituency in Uasin Gishu county.
Heavy rains continued to cause landslides and cut off many bridges in parts of the North Rift. In Turbo, heavy rocks rolled downhill in Waitaluk village forcing affected residents to flee from their homes.
Turbo MP Janet Busienei has asked residents living in vulnerable areas to move to safety because heavy rains were still pounding the region.
Eldoret Catholic Bishop Dominic Kimengich urged the government to act quickly to save lives in areas affected by floods.
“The impact of the floods in our region is so devastating at a time when we are also battling the spread of the coronavirus, ” Kimengich said.
He said many people in the region and other parts of the country will require humanitarian assistance.
North Rift Economic Bloc chairman Jackson Mandago said they had activated emergency response teams to help handle the situation.
“We have also asked all those living in risky areas to move to safer grounds as the intensity of the rains seems to be increasing and we would like to avoid disaster,” Mandago said.
The Uasin Gishu county chief said the region's governors would hold a virtual meeting this week to discuss both the Covid-19 and floods crisis.
Rift Valley regional coordinator George Natembeya said they had mapped out all areas prone to landslides, mudslides and flooding so that all residents are moved to safer grounds to avert disaster.
Landslides were reported in most parts of the region as floods also swept away livestock and destroyed crops on farms.
“We are working with the counties and emergency response teams to ensure that we inform those in danger areas to move away until the heavy rains subside,” he said.
Many of those displaced in West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Uasin Gishu, parts of Baringo and Trans Nzoia were camping in schools and churches.
Natembeya said government officials had been deployed to ensure they comply with all measures against the spread of Covid-19.
“They will be given all the necessary humanitarian assistance and also masks along with sanitiser. We will ensure they keep social distancing so that we also avoid the spread of the coronavirus,” Natembeya said.
(edited by o. owino)