More than 60,000 acres of maize, sorghum, rice and pulses have been destroyed by floods in Kisumu county, Governor Anyang Nyong'o said on Tuesday.
He said 8,000 acres of rice, 30,000 acres of maize, 16,000 acres of sorghum, 8,000 acres of pulses, 2,000 acres of cassava and 2,500 acres of vegetables have been ruined as a result of heavy rains that have also affected livestock.
Nyong’o said the damage caused was worth Sh3 billion. The floods menace has rendered thousands of households vulnerable after they were displaced, he said.
He cited Nyando, Muhoroni and Nyakach as the worst affected subounties where gains already made in food security have been wiped out.
Most parts of Nyando, Nyakach and Muhoroni have experienced flooding either due to rivers bursting their banks, flash floods, or the backflow of water from Lake Victoria, all attributed to heavy downpours.
Human manipulation of watersheds, drainage basins, and flood plains have also been cited as causes of the floods.
Nyong’o said the floods have been responsible for the massive destruction of shelters and household assets, irrigation infrastructure and crops in the farms.
It has also delayed planting of crops and caused submerging of sanitation facilities, and shallow wells, he said.
“This has subsequently led to contamination of water sources resulting in outbreaks of acute diarrhoea and cholera and cumulatively displacing over 13,000 households,” Nyong’o said.
Currently, about 4,000 households are in evacuation camps across the county.
“As the governor, it concerns me a great deal when people have no physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life,” Nyong'o said.
He said it was the county government's responsibility to ensure those displaced from their homes by the floods are provided for in a dignified manner at the rescue camps.
“This is why we have put in a robust relief supply strategy that has been ongoing in the various camps in the county,” he said.
The governor said they have delivered food rations to 3,500 households in the camps through the Special Programmes Directorate.
He noted that the county was in the middle of two debilitating catastrophes that have greatly compromised people’s livelihoods and resilience.
The floods menace has worsened the economic situation of many who were yet to adapt to new stringent life owing to the coronavirus pandemic.
The county through the Covid-19 Support Fund spearheaded by Kisumu Social and Economic Council, has mobilised food items for distribution to the flood victims.
“As we deploy the short term strategies of cushioning our people from the effects of these disasters, we must train our eyes on improving our livelihoods resilience post the pandemics,” Nyong’o said.
Edited by P.O
