Floods kill one, displace families amid calls for state help

Children check books that were damaged after floods marooned their houses in Kaptembwo, Nakuru County, on September 4, 2024. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

A senior catechist at St Patrick Ngata Parish has died after he was swept away by floods in Nakuru West sub-county.

Tens of families have been left homeless after their houses were swept away by floods that also caused faultiness in the area.

Nakuru West Deputy County Commissioner Ali Omar said the heavy rains left a catechist dead, a fault line around the Everyday roundabout, and massive destruction of property.

The deceased Samwel Tarus was a senior catechist at St Patrick Ngata Parish and the catechist chair at Nakuru Diocese.

"We experienced floods in almost every part of Nakuru West, the catechist was swept away by water at around 7pm while riding his motorcycle," he added.

The body was retrieved from the storm water at around 1pm and ferried to Nakuru County Mortuary.

Omar said following the fault lines, Kenya Power has switched off electricity to avoid destruction as KeHNA assessed the roads. He urged locals to be cautious and inform the local authority of any distress, advising those in water route areas to move to safer grounds.

The administrator said he could not ascertain the number of locals affected. Francis Kariuki who witnessed the catechist being swept away, said the incident happened at about 7pm.

He claimed while trying to evade the raging water, he saw the deceased being swept away. He alleged that the catechist was with another person who escaped.

"I and nine others tried to rescue the deceased but in vain as the storm couldn't allow us," he added.

Kariuki said the motorcycle was recovered only to learn in the morning about discovery of the body. He said floods have remained a challenge in the area due to poor drainage with faults line opening.

In Kaptemba, we met Janet Bosibori a Form Four learner sorting her books which had been immersed in water with mud.

Their house is among 10 others affected as neighbours were forced to rescue them through the window following the floods.

She said she arrived home around 7pm only to find her sister and brother crying for help as their mother was not around. "All my books, textbooks, revision papers have submerged, I didn't go to school because I have nothing to wear," she said.

Bosibori said after dodging the heavy rains on her way from school, she found her siblings in devastating situation.

"Everything has been destroyed in our house, I don't know where to start. I'm a candidate at Mogoon Secondary School," she added.

She appealed to well-wishers to help her complete her studies. Her mother Fridah Moraa, a casual laborer, said she left home in the morning as her children went to school only to receive a call that her house had flooded.

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