Kobura residents appeal for help as floods leave 300 people in limbo

More than 300 hundred residents of Kobura ward within the Nyando subcounty have been forced to move from their homes following heavy downpours in the last few days.

The heavy rains have flooded most of the homes even as residents express fear over the risk of contracting waterborne diseases after some of their belongings were destroyed in the water.

This has also seen some roads impassable.

Most of the families are seeking refuge at Rieko Junior Academy, a private school within the area as residents appeal for help from well-wishers in both county and national government.

One of the residents affected Peter Oyoo Omedo noted that for the last five days, the water has not gone down making life difficult for them.

Omedo said they have tried to create various pathways to allow the water to move but their efforts have been fruitless.

A rice farmer Collins Obuon noted that the heavy downpour which has lasted for a few days destroyed their rice farms leading to the loss of millions.

Obuon noted that the rice ready for harvesting was worth Sh300 million.

"I want to urge the government and the President in particular to look into this issue and sort it out once and for all, let them send us, the NYS tractors to help us manage the drainage systems here, the people are suffering," he said.

However, the area MCA Billy Odhiambo expressed displeasure in the manner in which the matter was being handled by the county disaster management team.

Odhiambo claimed that they had on several occasions raised the plight of the Kobura residents and at one point they were promised that a tractor will be brought.

He said it was unfortunate that the people continue to suffer yet there is money allocated for disaster and emergency to handle such situations.

"A supplementary budget was passed with Sh30 million going for disaster management and Sh50 million for emergency,  why are the funds not being released to help in this situation?" he questioned.

He noted that currently the 300 people affected within his ward need urgent intervention.

"The roads are impassable but we have been told that a tractor will come tomorrow let us wait and see," he said.