• Across Tana River county, 15 wards have been affected and more than 48,000 people displaced, with Tana Delta subcounty the worst hit.
• Most roads are impassable and residents have to use canoes to access their homes.
A humanitarian crisis has hit Tana Delta subcounty as flooding left a trail of destruction in its wake.
Across Tana River county, 15 wards have been affected and more than 48,000 people displaced. However, Tana Delta is the worst hit as six wards are inaccessible. Residents have appealed for help.
Most roads are impassable and residents have to use canoes to access their homes. The situation is all the more devastating given the number of snakes, crocodiles and hippos that have infested the rivers used for water transport. Bees have also swarmed the area.
Worse still, long grass makes it difficult for the canoes to move, especially in Mwanja area, Kipini West. At some points, operators have to alight to cut the grass before they continue with their journey.
Kipini West MCA Musa Wario on Monday said the nearest safe ground is Marafa, which is 10 kilometres away, hence undermining their evacuation efforts.
Wario accompanied journalists to the area, which is now surrounded by water. Residents are marooned. The journalists struggled for hours to reach the place instead of the usual 25 minutes. Divers had to help.
Wario said residents are not against moving to safe grounds but have been stranded since the floods ravaged the area because they have no options. The situation is, however, worsening.
"Even rescuing flood victims is a challenge," the ward representative said.
Divers in the area said they face difficulties during floods as most rivers and channels have tall grass that hinders movement.
Omar Barisa Mohamed, a canoe captain who helps the community, said challenges abound. He said a distance they covered in a few minutes now takes hours.
"Here we have spent over one-and-a-half hours, yet it's an area that should take less than five minutes," he said.
Mohamed said residents are wary of wild animals that make travelling risky, hence the need for intervention by the government.
Roba Kokane Gonyo, a diver from Tana Delta, was on his way to Shirikisho and stopped his activities to help a canoe that had stuck. They had to rid the water of grass and other vegetation to ease movement.
He said they normally dive and swim in the river channels to save lives, despite the dangers faced. One day a woman almost drowned at Odhole had they not responded swiftly to rescue her, he added.
(Edited by F'Orieny)