- Residents in flood-prone lowlands urged to relocate to higher grounds to prevent loss of lives and property.
- Impassable roads have left the region without supply of essential commodities leading to a hike in prices of food items
Image: KNA
Heavy rains in North Horr constituency, Marsabit county, have left hundreds of families homeless in the past two weeks.
Preliminary information shows over three hundred families in about 100 homesteads in Koricha and Dahagabochi areas have been displaced after floods destroyed their homes and property.
“The damage could be much bigger as unconfirmed reports are indicating that small stocks such as sheep and goats have been swept away by the deluge,” area Member of the County Assembly (MCA), Tulu Elema said.
A County meeting organised by Pastoralist Community Initiative Development Assistance called on residents in flood-prone lowlands to relocate to higher grounds to prevent loss of lives and property.
Chaired by county commissioner Nobert Komora, the meeting resolved that a comprehensive rapid assessment be conducted to ascertain the extent of damage caused by the floods so that proper interventions can be made.
Rains in the neighbouring Ethiopian highlands has caused the rejuvenation of seasonal rivers, giving rise to flash floods.
Persistent rainstorms have destroyed two ECDE centres, downed six power poles in North Horr town, and made roads including Gas and Dukana impassable.
The Kalacha-North Horr section of the Marsabit –North Horr road is currently inaccessible after several seasonal rivers served with drift bridges sprung up.
This has left the region without supply of essential commodities leading to a hike in prices of food items.
A kilogram of sugar is going for Sh300 up from Sh100 while a head of cabbage is equally selling at Sh300 up from Sh60.
Komora said affected families would receive emergency aid from the National Government consisting of 200 bags of rice and 100 bags of beans.
The Commissioner said the assistance will be delivered by all possible means as the CSG awaits a report on the actual situation on Tuesday, for intervention.
He said Kenya Power Company technicians have been deployed to North Horr town to work on the fallen poles and restore electricity supply.
The county government also said it was releasing 300 bags of rice and 20 cartons of cooking oil as mobilisation of resources to help the displaced were being finalised.
The CSG asked the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), to have the damaged parts of the road repaired speedily.
The southern part of the county has also been adversely affected by floods, which have destroyed the road network cutting-off areas such as Sarai, Irrir and Martidorop.
Other areas reported to be out of reach after roads became impassable are Mpagas, Ngurunit and Illaut with calls for humanitarian assistance from the government and well-wishers.
Meanwhile, in Moyale sub-county, a water pumping machine at Bori borehole in Bori location has been washed away following a heavy downpour that pounded the area overnight.
The water point supplies both human and livestock. Residents have appealed to the government and well-wishers, to come to their rescue and help in the repair of the machine.