Gachagua visits Murang'a families affected by landslide

The national government will continue supporting families displaced by the rains until they can go back to their homes.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua spoke at Ngutu Primary School in Murang'a county where 52 families are camping after being displaced by a landslide that claimed six lives on Sunday night at Kiganjo village.

Among the six killed in the landslide was a mother and three of her children, and a man and his wife.

He appealed to those living in high risk areas to relocate to safer areas in order to safeguard their lives.

Gachagua underscored the need for Kenyans to heed experts' warning, saying the state is working to provide humanitarian support to all affected.

“The government is working on a plan to offer temporary shelter, food and other basic necessities for displaced families,” he said.

The Deputy President arrived in the area just after a team of area legislators visited the victims and left.

The team that included Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, Edwin Mugo (Mathioya), Joe Nyutu (senator) and Betty Maina (Woman Representative) also offered donations and comforted the families.

Nyoro who is also the chairperson of the budget committee in the National Assembly, said both county and national governments have a disaster management kitty and that the funds should be released to support those being affected by floods.

“I want to ask the accounting officers in state agencies entrusted in handling disasters to release funds so that victims can be assisted,” he said, noting that many have lost their homes to the floods.

He said the constitution allows for the funds to be utilised on emergencies in order to save lives before the expenditure is approved by the National Assembly.

Nyoro said the government will help affected families resume their normal lives and that an assessment will be done after the rains to map out the destruction and appropriate support needed.

Senator Nyutu challenged the county government to act with haste and support the families affected by the landslide.

“Murang’a county has about Sh200 million from the equitable fund that is meant for emergencies  and can help relocate families whose land has been rendered inhabitable,” adding that the families on the farms where the landslide occurred have nowhere to bury those who perished.

Maina appealed to the Ministry of Interior to work with humanitarian organisations to inspect all high risk areas and recommend safer areas for relocation.

Mugo said Mathioya constituency is among areas heavily affected by the downpour as it borders the aberdare forest.

“Some of our roads have been partially blocked by mudslides and we are appealing to the road agencies to clear the debris and advise on safer routes,” he said.

A weather forecast released by the Meteorological department on Tuesday indicated that Murang’a county will continue receiving above normal rainfall through-out the month of May.

Already, several other landslides have been reported in Kimandi area in Gatanga and Mairi in Kigumo where families are counting huge losses after their tea farms were swept away.

Sagana river that is on the boundary of Murang’a and Kirinyaga counties has burst its banks and flooded into farms.

With soils already saturated to capacity, residents have been urged to be on the look-out for earth movements with Murang’a being one of the landslides prone areas in the country.