Trans Nzoia County has constituted a multi-sectoral El Nino Disaster Steering Committee to mitigate effects of the El Nino rains.
The committee comprises National Government Administrative Officers, the county security team, heads of departments from both the national and county governments, and the Kenya Red Cross Society of Kenya (KRCS).
However, to ensure inclusivity, there were calls to expand the working group to include Kenya Power, religious leaders, and departments of Education, Trade, Gender, Roads, KeNHA, Health, and KURA.
Leading the formation of the committee were Trans Nzoia County Commissioner Hassan Allasow Hussein and County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Public Service Management Samson Ojwang, who represented Governor George Natembeya.
The County Commissioner urged the committee to put in place prior strategies to ensure the safety of the public and that no life is lost during the El Nino rains, calling for cooperation from the public to ensure a seamless evacuation exercise.
His sentiments were echoed by Ojwang, who stressed the county government’s commitment to work with the national government and other stakeholders to mitigate the effects of the floods.
Ojwang said the safety of the people is non-negotiable, adding that there are no county or national government citizens.
“Whether it is the national or county government, we serve the same citizens. There are no citizens marked as county government citizens or national government citizens. This underscores the need for us to work together, more so on matters of safety, which is a priority,” he said.
Tabling a report from KRCS was County Coordinator Ruth Miningwo, who said, according to previously recorded flood situations in the region, approximately 6,638 households are likely to be affected by the heavy rains, with 638 households likely to be displaced.
With the latest indicators from the weatherman, Miningwo said the number of households to be affected and displaced could increase, as the expected rainfall is projected to be super El Nino.
She said those with the highest vulnerability are communities along River Sabwani, swampy areas, areas around water reservoirs, and communities on slopes of Mt. Elgon and Cherangany Hills.
“Besides floods, we expect mudslides and landslides in Mt. Elgon and Cherangany Hills. In an effort to enhance our rescue operations, evacuation centres have been identified across the county. For instance, we have Namanjalala Comprehensive School, Mukuyuni Comprehensive School, Chief Mutende Comprehensive School among others,” she said.
She observed the need to update the County El Nino Contingency Plan with reference to the 2023 El Nino Contingency Plan for Trans Nzoia County to factor in contingency for national examinations, capacity building for divers/first responders, prisons, the Emergency Operations Centre, and logistics by the Red Cross.
Among other activities, the committee has been tasked with strengthening sub-county disaster response steering committees, pre-positioning of response resources, and training aqua rescue personnel in every sub-county and ward where possible.
By Isaiah Nayika
