By Peter Ochieng
As hundreds of families remain stranded in camps having witnessed their homes swept away or marooned by floods, Shining Hope for Communities (Shofco) organisation Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Kennedy Odede has issued some sort of a lifeline.
Odede who is currently abroad, urged flood victims to use Shofco’s over 15 centres across the country, among them in Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa.
“People who live near the river banks, please vacate and you can use the Shofco centres, we have centres across Kenya,” Odede said in a video message posted on his social media pages.
“I am with you and we are doing our best in mobilizing resources so that our people get food, our people get medicine and you know, we are thinking of you.”
He added, “It is a tough moment, this is the time that we have to come together.”
The number of people killed by flooding and other impacts of the heavy rains had risen to 228, the interior and national administration ministry said on Sunday.
The rains have caused widespread flooding and landslides across the country in recent weeks.
At least 164 people have been injured, while 212,630 have been displaced, the ministry added.
On Monday, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said that the challenges that have been brought about by floods are heavy.
He said they continue to receive g calls from all over the country, from people seeking for assistance.
“The challenge we are facing today is heavy, we are not able to sleep. Calls are coming from across the country, everybody is asking for food and non-food items. People asking for military choppers to assist in dropping food. People asking for support,” he said.
“Parents are very unsure of what will happen to their children, the children are at home and we have no date of when the schools will reopen. It’s a difficult time and I want to thank the people of Kenya for their cooperation and support,” he added.
Reopening of schools for the second term was suspended indefinitely due to flooding across the country.