Garissa residents living along the now swollen River Tana and flood-prone areas have been advised to move to safer grounds.
Area county commissioner Joshua Chepchieng’ told the press in his office today that the water levels at River Tana have risen to 4.9 meters down from the normal 4.0 meters posing a great danger to residents near the river.
Chepchieng said the most affected area include Mansabubu in Fafi Sub-County, Gurufa in Lagdera Sub-County, parts of Balambala and Dadaab sub-counties.
The county commissioner said that roads to Bura, Masalani, Balambala, Modogashe are impassable and getting relief food to these areas is ‘almost impossible’.
“We have just come out of a severe drought situation to a very wet one. We have received above normal rains. Last night it rained for over 10 hours continuously. We are foreseeing flooding along the river Tana,” he said.
The administrator said the Kenya Red Cross, Sub-county administrator and chiefs are on the ground assessing and monitoring the situation with a view to providing assistance to those in need.
He said the county steering group which he chairs instructed key ministries of health, water, public works, livestock, and agriculture to scale up their activities in readiness for floods.
“The ministry of health, livestock should strt stocking enough drugs and vaccines to county water borne diseases and other health issues because we anticipate more flooding if the rains the continue,” he said.
“The meteorological department which is a member of the steering group informed us that the rains will continue until early May. I urge the residents to be more alert and avoid taking risks,” he added.
Kenya Red county coordinator Tusmo Ogle said toilets in many Bullas (villages) in the outskirts of Garissa town caved in last night following the heavy downpour.
“We fear for a possible outbreak of cholera and other water-borne diseases. We have sent out teams to access the damages and requirements for the affected families in Gurufa, Bura and other flooded areas in Dadaab sub-county,” she said.
Traders and residents in Garissa town are counting losses after their business premises and houses were submerged in water following last night heavy downpour that lasted over 10 hours.
Those who spoke to the press complained of years on neglect by the relevant authorities that have left water drainage systems clogged, Adding that the national and local governments are giving contracts to unable contractors who block the waterways as they do the shoddy work.
They called on the county government to start unblocking the drainage systems within the town and clear structures along the road reserves that they also claimed were contributing to the flooding.