Fear and panic grip residents of Narok town as water levels rise in Olopito dams

However, Narok executive member in charge of Roads and Public Works, John Gatua, assured locals that there was no cause for alarm as measures had been put in place.

“Several mitigation measures have been taken and residents living in the town are out of danger,” Gatua said while accessing the dams with hydraulic engineers.

He said locals just need to be careful now as the rains remain heavy across the country.

Youth leader Douglas Masikonde said the government should act, saying these are painful lessons the country is learning the hard way and many lives have been lost in a short period.

He added that the state needs to address the issue of better housing and good drainage systems to prevent further disasters or floods will continue to wreak havoc for years to come.

“We better learn from other countries through their improved technology that informs us before natural disasters like this. We must also use all resources resourcefully to save lives by incorporating all relevant personnel in safety measures,” Masikonde said.

The youth leader also lamented that the government needs to be prepared all the time to handle all disasters in case a larger magnitude occurs.

“Accordingly, it should be noted that both the national government and the Narok County government have tried to raise awareness about security measures, but we need the goodwill of both parties to invest in security measures,” he said.

The devastating floods that always hit the town are replicated every time there is heavy rain.

Narok is named after the Enkare-Narok River, which is a Maasai word. that is, dark water or murky waters.

The permanent river that draws its waters from the Mau forest runs through the city with a tributary that crosses the main commercial center from the Olopito mounds that dominate the city to the east.

This tributary has come to be associated with the destruction of the town as the main cause of the floods to a certain extent that has somehow authenticated the myth about how the city was born.

In 1993, a 45-minute rainstorm killed more than 50 people, washed away several cars, and destroyed many livelihoods.

In 2015, 15 people died in the floods that hit the town.