NAIROBI, Kenya, April 24 – Kisumu City has embarked on desilting and improvement of riverbanks to alleviate the sufferings of city dwellers affected by floods occasioned by the ongoing rains.
City Manager Abala Wanga says the intervention is to restore normalcy in many estates now submerged in water.
The most affected area is in Nyalenda B ward where homes and houses are marooned in water, families unable to access their houses.
Abala says the situation has been caused by the overflow of water in Rivers Aleura and Nyamasaria.
“After a thorough technical assessment with our engineers, we are starting the desiltation of the two rivers to clear obstructions,” he said.
In addition, he says, the city will undertake drainage improvement initiatives to enhance water channeling capacity.
Earlier, a team from the city led by his deputy Charles Omollo toured the affected estates to see the effects of flooding.
Omollo says the flooding in the area has not been caused by the overflow of Lake Victoria.
“We realized that this flooding has been caused by failure in the dyking that was done in Nyamasaria River,” he said.
He says the immediate intervention will relive the families from the mess they have found themselves in as he promised a long term solution.
Omollo assured the families that the intervention will ensure school going children have easy access to schools when schools re-open next week after April holidays.
“We have a permanent solution, which will involve designing of Nyamasaria River dyking, and making accessible roads,” he said.
Locals appreciated the city’s response to their cries noting that the planned interventions will go a long way in alleviating the challenges they are going through.
Vivian Kobe, a resident of Nanga in Kapuothe area, the worst section hard hit with floods says they have been living in a nightmare.
“The intervention is God sent and we thank the City for this response to save us from this excess water finding its way into our houses,” she said.
The affected families are camping at Nanga primary school.
