This archive report was first published on 12 May 2020.
As the Tana River reaches its optimum level, causing serious spillage, residents on the lower side of the river and in Garissa are at grave risk. The government has been criticized for prioritizing the COVID-19 pandemic over the floods, which have killed hundreds.
Residents in flood-prone areas such as Nyando and Kano in Kisumu County and Budalang'i in Busia are struggling to cope with the disaster. They are in dire need of assistance, including food, shelter, and medical care.
According to Damson Opiyo Onger, the government should set up a fund to assist the displaced families and declare the floods a national disaster. 'The families are suffering from hunger, lack of shelter and infections from waterborne diseases, including malaria,' he said.
Jim Webo, a resident of Kisumu County, expressed disappointment at the government's response to the crisis. 'The national leadership is obsessed with COVID-19, for its huge donor appeal. But I'm disappointed that the Navy and other units of the Kenya Defence Forces do not seem concerned about the people being swept away to their painful deaths,' he said.
