State, Red Cross offer aid to flood-hit families in Budalang’i

Hundreds of Budalangí residents who were affected by floods are set to receive food and clean water.

The Ministry of Interior, the county government of Busia and the Kenya Red Cross have mobilised to distribute the essential foods.

The floods affected the constituency’s two wards of Bunyala Central and Bunyala South after Lake Kanyaboli in neighbouring Siaya County broke its dyke releasing water downstream.

On Thursday, Western Regional Coordinator Irungu Macharia said as efforts to rebuild the broken dyke continue, those affected will receive food aid, clean water as well as mosquito nets to prevent malaria outbreak.

“We want to assure you that we are continuously receiving food aid and clean water for those affected. We will continue to provide basic needs until the situation returns to normal,” Irungu said.

“The national government is collaborating with the county government and other stakeholders to make sure those people who have been affected are attended to.”

The regional coordinator spoke at Lake Kanyaboli at the spot where the ox-bow lake broke its dyke releasing water downstream.

As a result, approximately 8,000 acres of farmland have been submerged with crops including maize and beans being destroyed.

The affected residents are of Bunyala Central and Bunyala South. The lake is in Siaya County.

Several schools, roads and bridges have also been affected.

NEW DYKE

Irungu said a cofferdam is expected to be completed in less than a month to prevent more water from flowing to Budalang’i.

“We are working closely with the investor by the name Lake Agro and the county government of Busia, the National Youth Service and the Kenya Red Cross who have intervened in different ways to make sure that our people are safe,” he said.

“For now, the national government, the county government and Lake Agro have mobilised equipment including three tippers and one loading shovel from NYS Kisumu and we are still mobilising for more equipment which includes about ten tippers, one bulldozer and three loading shovels.”

“If we manage to mobilise this equipment, in the next less than one month, we would have managed to build a cofferdam to prevent more water from flowing out of the lake into Budalang’i.”

Kenya Red Cross regional manager West Kenya Hellen Cheruto said some of the people affected by the floods have received tents from the agency to ensure they do not stay in the cold.

Irungu was accompanied by the Western region security team led by the regional police commander Kiprono Langat, Ibrahim Ramadhan, the regional Administration Police commander and Martin Akwany, Kenya Prisons head, Western.

Also present were area MCAs John Omumi (Bunyala South) and Stephen Nasiagi (Bunyala Central), Busia Health and Sanitation chief executive Beatrice Nakholi and her Works counterpart Andrew Meso and Andrew Nakitare (Public Service).

Governor Paul Otuoma had called for intervention from the national government and other humanitarian agencies as the floods continued to wreak havoc.

Otuoma said with the water spillage from Lake Kanyaboli, fish had died and residents lacked water.

“It is a disaster that needs a lot of collaboration including the county government of Siaya,” the governor said.

“We just want to say we are thankful but we need to move with speed before the heavy rains being predicted by the Meteorological Department cause more problems.”

The county chief said canals also need to be opened to channel water into Lake Victoria to limit incidents of frequent flooding.

“In future, we just have to be prepared, when the dyke is complete, we also prepare the canals. In the coming days, the water levels in the lake should be monitored and we should also have early warnings to prevent such disasters from happening.”

National Youth Service assistant director William Otieno said the NYS is up to the task of ensuring more equipment is availed to complete the construction of a cofferdam and subsequently a new dyke.