This archive report was first published on 6 May 2020.
As the country grapples with the devastating effects of heavy rainfall, the government has taken drastic measures to protect its citizens. On May 6, 2020, Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang'i announced the immediate evacuation of people living in flood-prone areas.
According to Dr. Matiang'i, administrators have begun enforcing population transfer in lower parts of Garissa and Tana River counties, targeting residents who have yet to heed voluntary evacuation orders. 'Effective this morning, we have raised the level of alert and instructed our regional security teams in North Eastern, parts of Eastern, and the Coast region to begin moving people away from potential danger using public resources,' he said.
The evacuation orders will remain in place until the looming risks and threats clear up. So far, 194 people have been killed by floods and related hazards, especially in Western Kenya, Central, and Coastal regions. Crops running into 8,000 acres have also been swept away, including rice fields in Nyando area.
The Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation confirmed that the floods have destroyed critical infrastructure, thereby affecting water supply to various towns, including Nairobi, Nyeri, Kisumu, and Nakuru. Water rationing will continue in the affected areas in the next five days, but technical teams have been mobilized to fix the damages and restore supply.
As the situation worsens, the government has adopted a cash transfer model to help those displaced access life-saving humanitarian assistance. Environment and Forestry CS Keriako Tobiko has urged Kenyans to step up environmental protection efforts and called for afforestation of degraded areas as viable long-term solutions to the disasters and emergencies that are claiming thousands of lives and destroying property each year.
