Several families in Lugari Constituency have been displaced by floods after Rivers Kipkaren and Nzoia broke their banks following heavy rains which are pounding the area.
The rains have left a trail of destruction in parts of Mautuma, Lugari, Chekalini, Lwandeti and Chevaywa wards with hundreds of families left homeless and more people likely to be affected due to the rising water levels in the two rivers.
The rains, which started pounding the area two weeks ago have swept several houses with others marooned in water with property valued at millions of shillings destroyed.
Mr. David Chagusia’s family is the worst hit in Mautuma ward after his compound and the entire farm was flooded with water after river Nzoia broke its banks.
According Mr. Chagusia he was awoken by floods at about 4am and he managed to rescue his family with few property as the rest was swept by the raging waters.
Another victim Donald Olando is also counting loses after his crops were swept away and section of his compound flooded.
At Mavaka village in Chevaywa ward several families have been forced to seek refuge at Chepsai primary school after their houses were submerged in water.
Mrs. Violet Toili’s family of seven is among those who have been adversely hit and displaced by flooding from the overflowing Nzoia river.
Mrs. Toili says her family escaped death by whisker after the raging water submerged their house at about 1am on Friday.
She said together with her neighbours they were forced to spend Saturday night in the cold as the house was completely submerged in water and rendered inaccessible.
“The rains have been heavier as from last week with the river swelling day by day till Friday when water entered into our houses forcing us to sleep outside before moving to Chepsai primary school,” said Mrs. Toili.
She said she couldn’t salvage anything and she lost all her chicken and cattle after the floods struck in the dead hours of the night.
“We managed to get out of the house safely but we could not save anything, I have lost my chicken and cows. My crops have all been swept away,” she said
Her sentiments were echoed by her immediate neighbor Mr. Erick Barasa Wanjala whose house was also submerged with the mud walls collapsing due to the floods. Like Mrs. Toili, Wanjala just ran for his life and did save his property.
The families camping at Chepsai have no food, bedding and proper sanitation with fear of water borne diseases looming in the area.
Apart from Nzoia River also several families living along River Kipkaren in Chekalini and Lugari wards have also been affected.
Mr. Dickson Wasilwa a resident of Railway line village in Lugari ward is counting loses after the river broke its bank and swept away his crops and poultry.
Wasilwa who is also an apiculture famer says several beehives have been swept away adding that the honey was ready for harvesting.
The victims are have sent a passionate appeal to the both national and county government of Kakamega and other emergency agencies to come to their aid and assist them with basic needs besides helping them rebuild their structures.
Speaking when he visited some of the victims, Lugari MP Ayub Savula said he will engage the National government to enable the trickling of the disaster funds from the National government to the locals.
Savula also called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to declare the current floods problem a national disaster since thousands of Kenyans have been displaced.
During the visit, Savula donated food and also gave the adversely affected families cash to enable them rent houses as plans to resettle them are put in place