Kenya allocates $30 million for flood response as death toll reaches 70: Xinhua

Travelers pass through a flooded section of the Athi River in Machakos County, Kenya, April 24, 2024. (Photo by Charles Onyango/Xinhua)

Kenya has allocated 4 billion shillings (about $30 million) for an immediate response to devastating floods caused by heavy rains in several parts of the country, Vice President Rigathi Gachagua said on Friday.

NAIROBI, April 27 (Xinhua) — Kenya has allocated 4 billion shillings (about 30 million U.S. dollars) for the immediate response to devastating floods caused by heavy rains in several parts of the country, Vice President Rigathi Gachagua said on Friday. .

The government has intensified its efforts to mitigate disasters resulting from increased rainfall and flooding, despite the meteorological department’s warning that heavy rains will continue for the next three days, Gachagua said.

Since the start of the heavy rains, 70 people have lost their lives, 22 have been injured and eight are missing, according to Gachagua. He added that 131,179 people have been affected by the rains, and contingency plans exist to improve the coordination of the emergency response.

“We are in talks with the National Treasury and are trying to provide Sh4 billion as an emergency fund. The National Youth Service will be facilitated in resettling displaced families, unblocking drains and waterways and managing overflows of the dams”. Gachagua said during a meeting in Nairobi to review emergency response actions related to the current flood situation across the country.

Residents are trapped after heavy rains in Mathare slums in Nairobi, Kenya, April 24, 2024. (Photo by Joy Nabukewa/Xinhua)

In addition to the loss of lives, livestock and food crops, heavy rains have destroyed roads and bridges across the country, disconnecting some areas from the rest of the country. Gachagua said that the National Disaster Assistance Center will be open 24 hours a day to monitor the situation, with several interventions already carried out for an immediate response to the ravages of the rains.

Other interventions include resettling displaced families, restoring washed-out bridges, repairing critical infrastructure, activating the National Disaster Response Centre, and distributing food, non-food items and pharmaceuticals to affected families. Kenyans have been advised to be alert for possible flooding and flash flooding as the rains intensify in the coming days.

The Kenya Meteorological Department has advised people living in landslide-prone areas in central and western Kenya to be careful to avoid dangerous situations. Heavy rain is expected in several parts of the country over the next three days, with parts of the Rift Valley, Nairobi, the Lake Victoria Basin and the coast set to receive more than 40mm of rain through Sunday, although this is expected to taper off afterwards.

During the meeting attended by development partners, local investors and senior government officials, Gachagua urged Kenyans to exercise caution and take responsibility for their own lives. He called on those living in landslide-prone areas and near dams to relocate to safer grounds. ■