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The humanitarian crisis in Budalang’i, Busia county, is worsening after Lake Kanyaboli in neighbouring Siaya county burst its banks releasing more water downstream.
On Tuesday, Busia Governor Paul Otuoma called for the intervention of the Kenya Defence Forces and the National Youth Service to help in evacuation.
He also requested humanitarian aid including food, tents, mosquito nets and bedding.
Heavy rains in Western region have caused severe floods that have made Budalang’i inhabitable.
About 8,000 acres of farmland have been submerged with the water destroying maize and beans that were weeks from harvesting.
Roads, bridges and schools have been flooded; schools are unreachable.
The stricken areas include Mabinju, Budala, Rukala, Runyu, Bulwani and Iyanga in Bunyala South; Bubamba and Buongo in Bunyala Central; and Bumacheke village in Bunyala North.
Residents led by Joseph Mang’amu Okumu from Bumacheke village said they now have nowhere to call home after their houses were submerged.
Okumu also lost his posho mill and his farmland is flooded.
“The situation is severe and needs urgent address. We urge both the county and national governments to intervene and address the perennial flood menace once and for all,” he said.
In Kanyaboli, Ibrahim Ogolla, a honorary conservation warden in Western region, emphasised the need to conserve the ecosystem by ensuring the lake has permanent inlets and outlets to control water flow.
He said water levels at Africa’s second largest ox-bow lake have fallen drastically, endangering its aquatic life and that of the Yala Swamp Ecosystem.
“The lake is quickly draining out to the Yala Swamp ecosystem, which is home to millions of fauna, flora and endangered animal species. We call for immediate remedy to prevent more losses,” Ogolla said.
Governor Otuoma on Tuesday appealed to the national government and other agencies to prevent looming environmental and human disaster.
He addressed the press at Lake Kanyaboli after an assessment tour of the lake.
The governor, accompanied by Busia acting commissioner Kipchumba Ruto, called for immediate rehabilitation of the dyke bordering the lake to control the flow of water downstream.
“We need the military and NYS to respond to this disaster immediately to avert more destruction. Busia and Siaya counties cannot manage this alone,” Otuoma said.
Ruto promised to engage the national government agencies to support the ongoing rehabilitation works being carried out by an investor, Agro Lake Limited, formerly Dominion Farms.
“This is an engineering nightmare that must be remedied as quickly as possible because downstream settlement and farmlands have been affected while upstream the lake is receding,” Ruto said.
MCAs John Omumi (Bunyala South) and Stephen Nasiagi (Bunyala Central) accompanied the county chief. They said their efforts to rehabilitate the dyke earlier were met with hostility since communities bordering Lake Kanyaboli wanted the water drained to prevent their homes from being marooned.
“We anticipate the situation will worsen downstream if we don’t mitigate this disaster soon,” Omumi said.
Lake Agro Limited GM Nev Davies praised the governor and county leadership for their commitment towards remedying the disaster.
“We are happy other agencies are coming in to assist us mitigate this situation. However, we will appreciate a long-term solution."
The team will host a multi-agency meeting on Wednesday to find a durable challenge.
(Edited by V. Graham)