Kisumu puts in place elaborate plans to keep locals safe ahead of the El Nino rains

Kisumu, Saturday September 16, 2023 KNA by Okumu Vera /Millicent Ouko

With the weatherman’s prediction of the El Nino rains, some parts of the country, especially the Kano plains and the Nyando areas within Kisumu County are bound to receive devastating floods. Over the years, residents of Nyando, Nyakach, Kadiboo, Muhoroni and Kisumu East Sub Counties have borne the brunt of the ravaging floods every rainy season.

‘’A permanent solution to flooding in Kisumu County is the completion of the Koru- Soin Dam to hold waters from Kericho and Nandi Counties,’’ says Mr. Maurice Oricho, the Kisumu County Director for Disaster Management and Emergency Preparedness in response to the adverse cycle of flooding in the region.

He noted that the Lakeside County is adversely affected by floods from heavy rainfall in neighbouring hilly counties. "Rarely does River Nyando break its banks over normal rains received within Lake Victoria regions. Once the Koru-Soin dam is complete, it will hold water that will only be released in controlled volumes when need arises," Oricho stated.

Of great importance, he added, Kisumu County has prioritized de-siltation water channels which are bound to break banks to avert any devastating effects of flooding including loss of lives.

"Sub-counties which receive floods are now under embankment and de-siltation works. There are two ongoing works in Kabonyo Kanyagwal, the Aguko , Orecha and Kogonda channels. These all aim at increasing the volume of water the channels can carry and therefore reducing incidents of flooding along their path," he stated.

He further stated that the county had activated Disaster Management Committees which run from the county level down to the village level.

The committees, he added, have different roles to make the county address flooding incidents more effectively.

The major cause of flooding in areas like Ombaka and Ogenya, he observed, has been the backflow of water from Lake Victoria.

To address this, he said, the county is cleaning River Nyando up to the lake to deepen the shores to help stop the backflow.

The County Disaster Management Committee is a multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary team, consisting of the county government and ten other in-line ministries from the National Government. Other partners engaged in the preparation for the El Nino rains include the UN Agencies such as UNICEF, Red Cross, Plan International, Care Kenya and SWAP.

‘’Disaster Management is a shared responsibility between the county, national governments and the private sector such that when there is an overwhelming scenario, both governments and the private sector are expected to chip in and offer support,’’ stated Oricho.

Courtesy; KNA