More bodies found after heavy rains in Kirinyaga, Narok

Three bodies have been retrieved from rivers in Kirinyaga and Narok counties following heavy rains that have continued to wreak havoc in many parts of the country.

In Narok West Sub-county, a body was found in Amalo River in Mulot Location on Monday evening.

The victim's relative, Viola Chebet from Chibinyiny village, said it was found by local divers who had camped along the river since Saturday, when the person was swept away by raging floodwaters.

In Kirinyaga, villagers spotted two bodies while fetching water and alerted police.

One of the victims was 19-year-old, who drowned in the swollen River Nyamindi on Tuesday evening, while crossing it at Kiamutugu village, Gichugu Constituency.

After she was hit by raging floodwaters and swept downstream, her family members embarked on a search but later gave up as they could not find her.

Residents found her body at Mwathaini village in Mwea East Sub-county. Kirinyaga East police boss Patrick Nyaanga said it was taken to Kerugoya County Referral Hospital mortuary.

The body of the second person, an unidentified man, was found in Thiba River on Sunday and taken to the same mortuary.

Mr Nyaanga said all the rivers and streams had flooded due to the heavy rains so residents should be cautious.

NAROK DONATIONS

Meanwhile, some 114 families displaced after the Mara River broke its banks last week have received food donations from Transmara Sugar Company Ltd.

The donations were given to the residents of Emarti village in Kimintet Ward under the company's corporate social responsibility and response to disaster division.

“We are distributing sugar as a gesture of togetherness in these tough times,” said the company’s Chief Operations Officer Rajesh Bhargava.

Mr Bhargava said the company appreciates the fact that it cannot operate in isolation and needs to work together with farmers and the rest of the community, especially during crises.

“The health and well-being of people within the company’s environs is important hence the robust and functional CSR programme over the years,” he said.

He distributed the sugar worth Sh120,000 accompanied by Human Resource Manager Yoshia ole Meitiaki and Security Officer David Ole Tonkei.

Transmara West MP Gideon Konchella, who also visited flood victims at Olmeoshi Primary School in Transmara West, called on Narok residents in areas prone to floods and mudslides to move to safer locations.

Mr Konchella noted that everyone must take precautions until the rains subside.

Also present during the visit was Transmara West Deputy County Commissioner Mohammed Hassan Noor.

RELIEF

In Garissa County, flood victims have received aid from the county's water services department in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef).

On Monday, the department donated non-food items to residents of Bakuyu and Ziwani in Garissa township.

According to the Kenya Red Cross Society, at least 700 families were left homeless in the two villages.

Water Chief Officer Ahmed Abdinoor and Mohamed Abdullahi, chief of the Unicef Zonal office, distributed items including jerrycans, buckets and soap to some 1,500 people at camps for the internally displaced the near Garissa fire station.

"This exercise is part of the county's Wash cluster programme headed by Water CEC Issa Oyow and supported by Unicef," Mr Abdinoor said, adding the donations would also help improve hygiene amid the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said the department will expand the programme to other areas affected by the heavy rains.

Also present during the event was Special Programmes director Abdinooro ole Hussein and non-state actors Osman Aden.

Reporting by Bruhan Makong, George Munene and George Sayagie