@ManuelOdeny
One person has been reported dead in Migori county where 600 people have been affected by flooding as heavy rains persist.
The body of Joseph Mwikwabe, 4, was found floating in a borehole after heavy rains flooded the area and the minor thought he was wading through water in a field in Mabera village.
Kuria West police boss Cleti Kimaiyo said the body was missing for about three days before it was found floating in the borehole.
“With heavy rains in the area we have been on alert over similar cases, the borehole overflowed and the family did not think the minor might have drown there at first,” Kimaiyo said.
The body has been taken to Akidavi Morgue.
In Nyatike along Lake Victoria, heavy rains forced Rivers Migori and Kuja to break their banks and affect 600 people in Central Kadem location, area chief Philip Opollo said.
“We have seen heavy rains and effects of flooding, residents are being integrated in families as homes are marooned,” Opollo said.
He said farms have been washed away by the heavy rains as houses have been isolated.
“We think if the rains continue, people will start to move to higher ground and to rescue centres,” Opollo said.
Across the county, heavy rains have caused infrastructure havoc in Migori county, including affecting a multi-billion shilling water project serving Migori town.
Heavy rains caused River Oyani to break its banks, which swept off the intake pipe at the Sh1.29 billion water project that supplies Migori town.
Across the county, several roads, bridges and road culverts have been swept away by the heavy rains.
Migori county Roads and Transport executive John Oring’o said engineers and equipment have been at the scene since Sunday night to reverse and restore the intake point.
“We are working hard to ensure the intake area is restored and the area reinforced as the rains have caused havoc not only there but across the county,” Oring’o said.
He said in the past two years Migori county failed to maintain roads, which made the current heavy rains devastating.
“The current heavy rains are causing us sleepless nights because most roads and culverts are being swept away, but we are ready for emergencies,” Oring’o said.
Since taking over as executive on Septembers, he said the department mapped about 200km roads for emergency control.
Sam Atula, the Roads and Transport chief officer, said after the rains they plan to have more than 100 projects which will cover about 500km of road within three months.
The two said after mapping major roads and those which are most affected, they repaired stalled equipment, adding several excavators, graders and tippers.
“This has helped us to do emergency maintenance internally because even currently the national government has not disbursed enough money, we will soon add external work,” Atula said.
(Edited by V. Graham)
