This archive report was first published on 28 December 2019.
Heavy rainfall in December 2019 caused widespread flooding in the Nyanza region, leaving thousands of people displaced and facing a humanitarian crisis.
In Kisumu County, homes were marooned by floods in Muhoroni, Kisumu East, Nyando, and parts of Nyakach, while in Homa Bay County, over 2,500 people were displaced in Karachuonyo and were forced to camp at Osodo Primary School.
As Christmas celebrations took place elsewhere, the displaced families were left to wonder where their next meal would come from, with many running out of food and drugs.
‘We only received a few bags of maize and beans for Christmas. There are no drugs and mosquito nets,’ said Jane Aketch, 27, at Ombaka evacuation centre in Nyando Sub County.
Meanwhile, in Migori County, over 600 households were forced to camp in schools after their homes were marooned by floods, with residents questioning the allocation of Sh100 million by the county government for disaster relief in the 2019/2020 budget.
The Kenya Ports Authority offices in Kibos were inaccessible due to the heavy rains, and business at a gas filling station located next to the institution was paralyzed after it was marooned by floods.
The county government of Kisumu has appealed for help from well-wishers and the national government, citing a lack of funds to deal with the disaster.
