The heavy rains have continued to ravage Tana River county as more villages are flooded while others are completely submerged, displacing thousands of residents.
Some villages have remained inaccessible since the rains started and residents are trapped in their homesteads. Some have refused to vacate to safer grounds, saying they will lack survival amenities in the areas they will be relocated to.
According to the Kenya Red Cross Society, more than 11,000 households have been affected by the floods in the area and the number is expected to rise as Tana Delta is still experiencing flooding.
Kenya Red Cross Society Coast regional manager Hassan Musa on Wednesday led a team of rescuers to Ongonyo and Sogal villages.
Most residents had moved but one family in Sogal village refused to be relocated to safer grounds for fear of losing their livestock and household items.
Red Cross officials and journalists waded through floods to reach the family, but they remained adamant saying there was no way they would board the Red Cross rescue boat and leave behind their only means of survival. They said they were also afraid they would not find a suitable place to stay in the new location.
The family is made up of eight members- the husband, wife, and their children and grandchildren.
The woman and her children chose to stay put but the husband agreed to leave with the rescuers.
The man claimed that he had, for over a week, unsuccessfully tried to plead with his ailing wife and other family members to move to safer grounds.
When he left with the rescuers, he said he would go to his second wife in Tara village.
His wife, who was unable to walk due to injuries inflicted by a crocodile, said she was afraid of leaving her home as she does not know how they would survive in the area they would be moved to.
Red Cross regional manager Musa had a hard time trying to convince the family to leave.
“What if the water submerges the village, what will you do? As you can see, the water level is rising and soon this area will not be accessible, let’s go to safe area to avoid getting stuck here,” Musa pleaded.
After a lot of pleading, the family members promised to look for a way to move to Ongonyo village and spend the night there before moving to Oda. Ongonyo is also affected by floods.
When the rescuers left, the woman was seated with her children and grandchildren at her flooded home. Her injured leg was swollen.
One of her children said they had decided to stay back because their livestock cannot move through the floods and they cannot leave them behind because they have no other means of survival.
“We appeal to the county government to intervene. The Kenya Red Cross has come to our rescue, but we still need help,” he said.
He however said they would move to Ongonyo before nightfall then move to Oda the following day.
He asked the government to support them with food and non-food items, and medical care as they fear outbreak of waterborne diseases.
It is not clear if they moved to Ongonyo or not.
Ongonyo assistant chief Abdulahi Gukami said most residents have moved to safer areas but more people are still stuck in the flooded villages.
He said Ongonyo is the largest with more than 200 families while Sogal has at least 50 families. He said some have heeded the call to move to safer areas while others are adamant because they are afraid of losing their property.
“We are fear there could also be an outbreak of diseases because people here drink water from the flooded river,” he said.
Residents have been drinking the floodwaters as they have no means of accessing clean water supply.
Musa said the situation is worsening each day and appealed to those still in marooned villages to leave immediately.
He said if the situation worsens, they will require a chopper to reach to the villages as currently, they are struggling to use boats to reach some of the villages but some are still not accessible.
Musa said those who will move to safe grounds will be supported with non-food items and shelter.
