By CYRUS OMBATI
More than 600 people are camping at the Mathare police depot after they were displaced by flash floods at dawn on Sunday that also killed a woman.

The victims who include women and children urgently need social amenities to enable them coupe with the situation that authorities said is wanting.

Kenya Red Cross officials who are attending to the victims said they also need food and shelter.

An official Nicholas Thuo led in supplying blankets, mosquito nets and mattresses to the displaced victims saying they will not provide food.

The victims spent their night at a hall in the area before they were all brought to an open ground Monday morning for a roll call.

“It is the government’s duty to provide such people with food. We have given them blankets and nets with hopes the crisis will be solved,” said Mr Thuo.

The floods has affected school programmes in some of the institutions that were affected. Also affected were churches.

Police said they had searched the area and were yet to find any more body other than that of Ms Abera Adhiambo.

Ms Adhiambo was pulled out of the raging water at about 9 am in Mathare 2 A as police with Kenya Red Cross officials launched a search in the area.

The area experienced flash floods following heavy rains that were recorded in Kiambu region. Ironically, Mathare did not experience rains in the last four days.

Starehe OCPD Aphiod Nyagah said they would continue to monitor the area and advise the locals accordingly.

He said atleast 600 people are camping at the hall waiting for help after they were displaced.

Mr Nyagah said they rescued two other people from the water as they continued with their rescue and search mission.

He described the disaster as terrible and devastating because it struck when many people were asleep adding he could not immediately give the number of those missing.

He added the provincial administration was going round advising those living near the river to move out.

Most of the people were able to run to safety when they heard sounds of gushing waters at about 5 am, but they could not rescue their household goods.

The affected area is the slum stretch downstream about three kilometers and almost all makeshifts near there were submerged with water.

Residents said they were woken up by waters raging in their houses without knowledge of its source.