A Form Four candidate is among three people killed by floods in Budalang’i constituency, Busia County.
And a 58-year-old man was killed as floods wreaked havoc in Nyanza.
Floods have also cut off transport along the Kakamega-Bungoma highway after a section of the Mayoni bridge on River Nzoia in Mumias was damaged.
In Budalang’i, Dismas Aju was swept away by the floods on Sunday while trying to rescue his family’s cows at Rukala.
The student was to sit his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination this year at Nayera Secondary School.
Alvin Bwire, 23, from Namakoli village in Ruambwa sub-location was also swept away by floods on Saturday evening.
According to Ruambwa Assistant Chief Augustine Swart, Mr Bwire jumped from a pickup truck that was being swept away by floods but was overwhelmed by the raging waters.
A two-year-old child is also said to have drowned in Budalang’i.
Governor Sospeter Ojaamong confirmed that over 20,000 people have so far been affected by the floods that have submerged homes in three wards.
The affected families are currently in camps.
Stop motorists
The Mayoni bridge on the Kakamega-Bungoma highway cracked and a section caved in, rendering the road impassable.
The rising water levels at the river left the embankment of the bridge compromised.
By yesterday, the damaged section of the bridge had widened, forcing authorities to stop motorists and pedestrians from crossing it.
The bridge is on the highway connecting Kakamega County to Busia and Bungoma.
Mumias West Deputy County Commissioner Peter Thiong’o told motorists to use alternative roads.
In Homa Bay County, Obugo Wawa, 58, drowned while more than 10,000 people were displaced by floods from their homes across Nyanza.
Wawa died when he attempted to cross a flooded river Ondagwa at Kichare village, Gwasi West Location in Suba sub-County on Sunday. Area Chief Tobias Opiyo said Wawa was returning home after heavy rains.
Meanwhile, more than 640 families in Rachuonyo North sub-County have been displaced by floods.
The affected families are from Osodo, Kowuor Agindo, Konyango, Komenya, Kasirawa villages in Wang’chieng’ location and a number of villages in Kobuya location.
The floods occurred after River Miriu broke its banks.
In Kisumu, Nyando and Nyakach sub-counties were the worst-hit by floods, with thousands of displaced families now crammed in few evacuation centres.
Meanwhile, fears of an outbreak of cholera and other waterborne diseases has hit one of the largest informal settlements in Naivasha after floods filled up pit latrines.
As a result, some of the residents of Kihoto estate which borders Lake Naivasha have been forced to relocate as the rains continue.
The estate is home to hundreds of flower farm workers, majority of whom have been laid off due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Ann Njenga, the Nakuru County Chief Officer in charge of disaster management said her office had ordered families in parts of the estate to move out.
She said Mbaruk ward in Gilgil, Ndabibi and Kiptagich in Kuresoi had also been affected by floods.
“In Kihoto and Mbaruk we have residents who border lakes Naivasha and Nakuru and we have advised them to move to higher grounds,” she said.
Homes destroyed
And families in Mwariki, Nakuru County, were on Sunday forced to spend the night in the cold while others camped in a church after floods destroyed their homes.
Over 58 houses were submerged.
Over 50 people had to camp at Victorius Community Church after their houses were flooded.
Rhonda Member of County Assembly Timothy Kabutu said Mwariki has been a flood-prone area and blamed poor drainage and abandoned road constructions for the area’s flood problems.
“We have a drainage problem in this area and over 200 families have been affected,” he said while distributing mattresses to the affected families,
He appealed to the county government to help the affected families.
[Ignatius Odanga, Brian Kisanji, James Omoro, Antony Gitonga, Daniel Chege]
