The national government is constructing dykes along River Nyando banks to mitigate perennial floods in Ugenya Sub-location, Kadibo Sub-county, Kisumu County.
The West Kano Kanyagwal Flood Control Project being implemented by the National Water Harvesting and Storage Authority aims to address the recurring flood menace in the region.
The project covers Kanduru, Kanyangi, Kajowi, Wachiegwe, Kanyamuok and Karagwel villages in Kanyagwal Location.
All these villages lie at low altitude where River Nyando drains into Lake Victoria and are highly prone to flooding and back-flow from the lake.
The project, 48 percent complete, is designed to reclaim approximately 7,000 hectares of land and support settlement of evacuated flood victims.
It entails the construction of a 1.5-metre-high dyke spanning 3.5 kilometres and a footbridge, grassing and tree planting to stabilise the reclaimed areas.
Interior Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo commenting on the ongoing project, noted that the intervention is part of the broader flood control and mitigation efforts championed by President William Ruto’s administration.
Residents of Nyando Sub County have endured perennial flooding that has displaced families, destroyed property and disrupted livelihoods for many years.
The most recent floods devastated 684 households, with 450 houses completely destroyed in Kanyagwal Location.
The government, Dr Omollo stressed, is not only addressing the immediate risks but also putting in place lasting solutions to protect lives and livelihoods through these interventions.
“Once complete, it will protect farmlands and human settlements from frequent floods and facilitate the resettlement of displaced families, safeguarding critical public infrastructure such as schools, health centres, roads, markets and places of worship in severely affected villages,” he remarked.
by Robert Ojwang’
