• County commissioner Meru Mwangi says residents in the area should start moving out before the floods worsen
• Four people died in Mwingi in Kitui county last week after their double cabin pick-up was swept away as the driver tried to cross River Mutindi
Residents living along the now swollen river Tana in Garissa county have been advised to move away to higher and safer grounds.
Speaking to the press in his office on Tuesday, county commissioner Meru Mwangi said the residents should start moving out before the floods cause havoc in the area, which is prone to flooding.
Mwangi singled out Bakuyu, Ziwani, Showground and Bulla Sheikh as some of the areas where the residents should start moving out with immediate effect.
“We have witnessed in the past how those who don’t listen to our calls end up being submerged overnight and we had to rescue them. As we speak, the Kenya Red Cross yesterday rescued four people who had been marooned by the raging waters,” Mwangi said.
“We have teams on the ground led by Red Cross and chiefs, among others, to ensure those who don’t have anywhere to go are settled until the floods subside.”
Churchgoers operating from Showground did not hold their prayers and instead used the morning session to move their equipment out of the area for fear of floods.
Mwangi said the national and county governments together with aid agencies are working to ensure flood victims have shelter, adequate clean and safe drinking water.
The administrator also cautioned motorists against driving on flooded roads.
Four people died in Mwingi in Kitui county last week after their double cabin pick-up was swept away after a bridge collapsed as the driver tried to cross River Mutindi. The driver and his turn boy survived.
The volume of water on river Tana has been increasing for the past three days and risks bursting its banks following heavy rounds around the Mount Kenya region.