The homes of hundreds of families in Ziwani and Bakuyu villages in Garissa county were swept away yesterday when the Tana River overflowed after heavy rains.
Families sheltered at a plot near the Agriculture Training College Institute.
County commissioner James Kianda said the Garissa Subcounty Security Committee will discuss how to compensate families.
He said residents living in flood-prone areas were told to move but they refused to do so.
Kianda said security officials are working with the county government to mitigate future disasters.
Speaking to the press yesterday, Garissa Farmers Association chair Hassan Mohamed said all 203 farms in Korakora, Central and Sankuri divisions are submerged.
“Not even a single farm has been spared by the floods. Some farmers who were caught unawares had to wade through the waters to get to their homes, only to find them flooded,” he said. Bakuyu and Ziwani villages are flooding hot spots.
Women, children and the elderly are the worst affected. NGOs, including the Kenya Red Cross Society, which donates food, have urged the government to supply clean water.
Last year, Kianda said more than 3,000 people were at risk of being displaced, particularly those living near River Tana.
He said the government is doing everything possible to ensure no lives are lost. “We have enough security personnel to attend to those hurt by floods,” he said.
Some 1,000 residents were displaced in November last year when the Tana River burst its banks, causing heavy flooding downstream.
Many farms were submerged and farmers complained of losses.