Some 22 families from Kangema Sub County in Murang’a and who were displaced by landslides during the past rain season are slated for relocation to safer areas.
Homes of the families from Mucoco, Kairathe, Rwathia and Kahindu villages were affected by continuous heavy rainfall that pounded the region last year rendering their land unsuitable and unsafe for settlement.
Speaking, Sunday, during his visit to the affected families, the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Delivery, and Government Coordination (CS), Geoffrey Ruku, confirmed that the government had received a report identifying the affected locations as high-risk zones that are no longer safe for human settlement.
The CS observed that there is no other viable solution except relocating the affected families to safer areas.
“The government has already marked this land as unstable and uninhabitable. We cannot allow people to continue living here and risk their lives. During previous rain seasons, the families have been affected by landslides,” said Ruku.
Kangema Sub-county is among the regions within Murang’a County that have been severely affected by last year’s heavy rains.
The landslides swept through villages from Mucoco, Kairathe to Kahindu and Rwathia, with over 22 homes being partly destroyed.
Many of the displaced families have been temporarily sheltered at the ACK Church in Kairathe, awaiting government intervention.
“The government is committed to helping the affected families by providing them with various necessities,” he added.
Ruku further stated that the government is actively looking for alternative parcels of land where the families can be resettled.
He cautioned the affected residents not to return to the landslide prone areas but to remain patient as plans for relocation are finalized.
The CS also remarked that the government was putting in place mitigation measures to stabilize the sinking land and prevent further disasters.
Kangema MP, Peter Kihungi, who was also present during the visit, echoed the CS’s sentiments urging the government to fast-track the resettlement process to prevent further suffering among the affected families.
“These families have been staying in temporary shelters at the ACK Church in Kairathe. It’s time for the government to move swiftly and allocate land elsewhere so that they can start rebuilding their lives,” said Kihungi.
Both leaders re-affirmed their commitment to ensuring that the affected individuals are safely resettled and that future disasters of this kind are minimized through proactive planning and risk assessment.
By Bernard Munyao
