•Chang'aa distillers work along rivers due to availability of water.
• Residents urged to move to safer grounds.
One man and eight head of cattle were swept away by floods along the Nandi escapement on Tuesday night.
His body was recovered 10km downstream at Chepswerta along the Kisumu-Nandi county boundary.
Jospehat Kipng’etich, a father of three, had set up his alcohol distilling equipment along the Kapsimotwo River, which swelled and swept him away together with his equipment.
Six of his accomplices barely escaped death as they had gone to fetch firewood in preparation for the night's work.
Tinderet OCPD Christine Kola said the distilling equipment included six, 200-litre drums.
The county has been experiencing days of downpours.
Two of eight cows were rescued; the were among the eight swept away by mudslides in the Kapsimotwo area, Tindaret subcounty.
On Tuesday, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembea asked residents living along the escapement in Nandi county to move out to safe areas after many areas were cut off by raging floods.
Natembea also said settlements in the Chepsangor hills and Kiptega villages were disasters waiting to happen.
“People should stop cultivation and settling on these dangerous hills because they are prone to landslides,” Natembea told residents.
He spoke after meetingh county commissioner Kutswa Olaka, six sub county commissioners and police commanders in Kapsabet.
(Edited by V. Graham)