Over 100,000 people have been affected by floods in Nakuru county, with sacked flower farm workers the worst-hit.
The Nakuru county government has launched a campaign seeking support from flower farms and other institutions to support the workers who have also been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Already, hundreds of flower farm workers have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, while hundreds of families have been displaced by ongoing rains in the county.
Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui said the county had embarked on seeking assistance from the farms and other donors due to the current crisis.
He admitted that the pandemic had taken its toll on farmers following the collapse of the Dutch Auction and the current lockdown in Europe.
“For the sake of the good times that the flower farmers made profits, we are asking them to assist those affected by Covid-19 and the floods,” he said.
Kinyanjui identified Naivasha as the hardest hit in terms of job losses. The lakeside town hosts over 50 flower and vegetable farms.
“So many workers have been laid off by the farms due to the crisis caused by the pandemic, and we are seeking other stakeholders to assist them,” he said.
The governor spoke in Naivasha after receiving assorted wheat flour products from Bakex Millers to assist vulnerable families.
While thanking the miller, Kinyanjui said that over 100,000 persons in the county had been affected by ongoing rains and there are fears that the numbers could rise.
Kinyanjui identified Kihoto estate next to Lake Naivasha as the most affected, with 22,000 people in danger of displacement by rising water levels.
“Other parts affected by the floods are Solai, Bahati and estates around Lake Nakuru whose water levels are rising every day,” he said.
Rohin Shah, a director with Bakex Millers, said they had donated Sh7.5 million to the National Covid-19 Fund and 500 bales of wheat flour to Nakuru county.
“We are keen to work with the national and county governments in assisting those vulnerable people who have been affected by the floods and Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
Edited by Henry Makori