•According to Gachagua, at least 80,000 households across the country have been negatively affected either through displacements or marooned houses with numbers rising every day.
•Counties are also required to unclog waterways and other drainage systems in their respective urban areas
Image: AURA RUTH
The government has called on the Kenyans living in areas prone to flooding and mudslides to move even as heavy rains continue to pound the country.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in a statement on Sunday further called on Kenyans to be on high alert and avoid risky behaviors such as driving or walking into flooding waters.
Gachagua’s call comes even as the heavy rains continue to wreak havoc across the country, with Mombasa, Garissa, Makueni, Tana River, Marsabit, Kilifi, Kwale, Meru, Isiolo, Turkana, Samburu, Wajir, Homa Bay and Busia being the worst hit counties.
“Predictions point to prolonged rains extending into December and into first quarter of 2024. For this reason we call on our partners to enhance their financial, technical and logistical support in reducing and mitigating the impact of El-nino,” Gachagua said.
According to Gachagua, at least 80,000 households across the country have been negatively affected either through displacements or marooned houses with numbers rising every day.
Cases of fatalities and missing persons have also been reported.
He is now calling on the counties to allocate and release more funds to complement the mitigation efforts of the national government and partners.
Counties are also required to unclog waterways and other drainage systems in their respective urban areas.
“The government helicopters are on joint rescue missions of marooned families, distribution of humanitarian aid food and non-food items and others,” the DP said.
“With the command centre at the Kenya Defence Forces headquarters, joint constant aerial and on-land surveillance for monitoring of the situation and identify emergency areas of intervention is ongoing,” he added.
Gachagua said funds have been allocated for the repair of destroyed infrastructure to improve ground response with surveillance being done to avoid possible outbreaks like cholera and other hygiene-related infections.
Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir on Friday urged residents to report any tragic incident involving floods to the designated official hotlines of the county's disaster management unit.
“The rains have persisted since yesterday (Thursday) here in Mombasa. Please reach out through the contact hotlines below for medical and rescue emergencies,” he said.
The hotlines include 0707911911 and 0788911911.
Nassir said the hotlines are for the Mombasa County Disaster Department which will help with the rescue mission.