By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
The government has ordered urgent structural repairs and drainage of the Kenya Railways tunnels within Kijabe area.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki issued the order on Tuesday after visiting the Kijabe area for a risk assessment and disaster risk mitigation.
Kindiki, in a statement, said the move is meant to avert loss of areas in the areas as it was in the case last week.
In last week’s incident, stormwater is said to have forced through a blocked tunnel leading to the tragedy that claimed over 50 lives within the Kijabe area.
“Following reported structural vulnerabilities of other tunnels forming part of the Railway infrastructure in the Kijabe area, the Government has directed urgent structural repairs and drainage of the tunnels to avert loss of life in the area as was the case last week,” Kindiki said.
Meanwhile, the CS said the Kiambu County Security and Intelligence Committee (CSIC) have been directed to evacuate all persons whose residences are likely to be on the path of downstream stormwater in the event of a drainage system burst.
It is estimated that at least 200 families will be affected.
The CS said the families were to move out by the end of Tuesday, May 7, 2024.
He further said members of the public affected by the directive will be assisted in finding temporary shelter until it is safe for them to return to their habitual residences.
“Those who fail to move out will be evacuated mandatorily for public safety,” Kindiki said.
The government’s directive for people living in dangerous areas comes even as more Kenyans continue to die due to the floods.
The latest data indicate that 238 have died so far while 75 other people are still missing.
174 people have been reported injured with a total of 47,000 households having been displaced affecting approximately 235,000 people.
In addition, approximately 286,011 people have been impacted by the heavy rains, across the country.