In Nyando, Kisumu County, over 300 flood victims have received relief food and are calling for a permanent solution to the recurring floods. Many victims remain stranded at various evacuation camps, relying on well-wishers for essential support like food and personal items.
At Ombaka Primary School, which serves as an evacuation camp despite the resumption of classes, about 270 flood victims received assorted food items donated by Rana Auto Selection Limited.
Sultan Ali Khan, Rana’s CEO, led the distribution, gave the victims cash, and promised to extend aid to other camps in Kisumu. He appealed to more well-wishers to join in supporting those displaced by floods.
Stephen Odhiambo, the company’s Western Region Sales and Marketing Manager, emphasized the need for a permanent solution. He urged the government and development partners to address the annual displacement caused by floods and support victims in various camps.
Odhiambo stressed the importance of reinstating victims back into their communities.
Teachers at Ombaka Primary School reported that hosting the victims has disrupted students’ concentration.
Victims, including 74-year-old Domitila Adede and 67-year-old Joseph Otieno, remain in the camp as their homes were destroyed by the floods. Adede has been in the camp for over three weeks, and Otieno has nowhere else to go.
Ombaka Assistant Chief Neto Awich noted that the victims incurred significant property losses, making it difficult for them to return home.
“We are trying to urge them to go back to their homes. This is however not easy because most of these people came here as their last resort. Their houses were marooned by water and everything was damaged,” Awich said.
He urged the national and county governments to support the victims’ return to normalcy. Despite efforts to reintegrate hundreds of victims, many still struggle in the camps.
The flood victims are calling on the government to build dykes along River Nyando and complete the Koru-Soin Dam to control future floods.
