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Rescue team sent to trace two 'missing' MPs, 16 others - Kindiki

Kindiki said the two MPs and 16 other people stranded in flooded Tana RIver waters are all safe.

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by Bosco Marita

News04 December 2023 - 05:09
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In Summary


  • The CS who spoke shortly after Video of the MPs appealing for help wrnt viral said they had established contact with the MPs and 16 other people who were with them .
  • Kindiki said the two MPs and 16 other Kenyans with them are all safe.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki before the education committee in parliament on August 2, 2023

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has said a multi-agency search and rescue team has been deployed to trace the two MPs and their aides who are stranded in the flooded waters of the Tana River.

Garsen MP Guyo Ali Wario and his Galole counterpart Hiribae Said Buya are stranded in the middle of the waters of the Tana River. 

In a video, the MPs appealed for emergency help.

The CS who shared a statement shortly after the Video of the MPs appealing for help went viral said they had established contacts with them and 16 other people who were with them.

Kindiki said the two MPs and 16 other Kenyans with them are all safe.

"Security agencies have established contact with a passenger in the boat that went missing earlier this evening in the waters of Tana River," Kindiki said,

"All the eighteen passengers and crew are so far safe but are stranded at a yet-to-be-established location. A multi-agency search and rescue mission spearheaded by the Kenya Coast Guard is underway overnight."

The MPs and their aides had left a food distribution exercise for flood victims when they got lost in the river while tracing their way to Garsen.

Video footage shared by journalist Lizah Mutuku on her X  platform captured the MPs appealing for emergency help as of 10:30 pm.

“We are lost we are in the middle of nowhere. Today we were on a rescue mission in Mnazini area and as we were going back we got lost in the river. So we are in the middle of the waters, we don't know the directions. We do not know where we are now,” said Wario.

Video of missing MPs and 16 others:

One of the occupants in the boat who is a staff of Wario said they left Mlimaobo in Mnazini at 4 pm heading to Garsen and got lost on the way.

For four hours, they could not find the way.

They appealed for a rescue to get to Garsen in a safe area.

Tana River is among the worst hit by the flood disaster with most of the villages in Tanadelta and Tana north flooded.

On Saturday morning the main access road linking Lamu and Garsen was cut off leaving hundreds of commuters stranded.

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