At least 3,500 people from 639 households have been forced to move to safer places after floods broke out in Budalangi Friday night.
The areas affected by the floods which are caused by Lake Victoria are Bukoma, Rukala and Musoma areas of the lower part of Bunyala sub county.
The floods are due to the back flow of water from Lake Victoria according to area MP Ababu Namwamba.
Namwamba said the water volumes in the Lake have gone up because there is construction going on at the River Nile outlet at Owen Falls dam in Uganda which has made them block the flow of water out of the Lake forcing the waters to back flow thus the floods.
The MP was to table a motion in parliament to have Kenyan government seek the repeal of the Nile Treat of 1929 which gave Egypt veto power on River Nile over other upstream countries.
“The treaty has to be revisited so that we are allowed as a country to create water canals from the lake so that all water doesn’t go away to Egypt. The canals will also help during such times.” Namwamba said.
Busia County governor Sospeter Ojaamong also supported the revisit of the treaty saying it will help get a lasting solution to the problem.
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“I will seek audience with President Uhuru Kenyatta to have the 1929 Nile Treaty amended to avoid the Lake Victoria back-flow caused by Uganda which is controlling the flow of water at the Owen Falls dam.
“The Nile treaty is a long term solution but as a stop gap measure, we will need more help from churches and charitable organizations to help the victims.” Ojaamong added.
He spoke after delivering relief food from the county government to the victims who are camping at Bukoma, Musoma and Bulwani primary school.
The Ksh. 1.6 million worth of foodstuffs included 200 bags of 90 kgs bags of maize, 100 50 kgs of beans, 50 bags of rice and 139 cartons of cooking oil.
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Nambale ACK Diocese, through Bishop Robert Magina donated 37 bags of sorghum and an assortment of clothes.
The governor added that he will seek help from the National Government to have the extension of the dyke at Bukoma completed to avert the floods which residents said was last experienced in the 1960 s, apart from putting up a disaster management centre where disaster management activities will be carried out.
“I also urge residents to avoid lower grounds as we seek permanent solution.”
The governor’s sentiments were echoed by Bunyala sub county Deputy Commissioner Simeon Ng’etich who also urged locals to welcome all leaders and well wishers who were bringing aid to the flood victims.
One of the victims, Margaret Ajiambo whose houses were submerged by the raging floods in Bukoma said they are sleeping in neighbours houses with no bedding or food to eat.
Another victim, Clement Nyongesa Aseguna, 64 years old who has two wives and ten children said he has never seen such floods since they were forced from Mau Mau by the 1962 floods.
“These floods are more worse than the previous ones. It’s a real disaster,” he said.
His five houses were marooned by flood water.
“It started at night. In the morning only one house had been submerged but now all my five houses have been submerged.” The devastated Aseguna observed.
