Residents in two settlement schemes in the Kinangop area of Nyandarua County are counting losses after a hailstorm left a trail of destruction on Monday evening.
Crops, including maize, peas, potatoes, and cabbages, were destroyed, and the corrugated iron-sheet roofs of several houses caved in under the weight of hailstones.
Fruit trees and several other big-leafed tree species were not spared either, as their leaves were beaten off by the large hailstones that pounded the Mwinjoyo and Mukungi settlement schemes.
“The rain came as a surprise, it had been sunny for most of the day, the hailstorm came at about 5:30 pm, lasted for about 30 minutes to 40 minutes leaving major damages,” Karimi Nguyo, a resident said.
He said several residents were rendered homeless following the heavy downpour accompanied by hailstones.
Nguyo added that electricity to the two areas was also cut after trees fell on power lines compelling the residents to spend the night in the dark.
“Some families slept in the cold because their homes were either submerged or destroyed by the hailstorm. Some people cannot go home because the small bridges in the area have been washed away,” he said.
As late as 10.00 pm last night, residents were still trying to salvage property that was washed away by the raging floods.
The residents have now called for emergency intervention from the county and national government.
Another resident, Monica Wakira said digging stormwater drains remains a great emergency necessity in the area.
She appealed to the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to make proper drainage along the Ol-Kalou-Njabini road to ensure that stormwater does not run off on people's land.
“KeNHA should make proper drainage along the highway to train all the water in the river, the trenches we have are too shallow to hold the stormwater,” Wakiru said.
She also appealed to the National Government, the County Government of Nyandarua and well-wishers to give the residents seed and relief food because their crops were destroyed.
