How farmers in different areas have been affected by the heavy rains

Floods hit farms and homes in Kamulu area in Kasarani Constituency on Wednesday night 4th December 2019.PHOTO: WILBERFORCE OKWIRI

We are in the season of heavy rains which are being experienced all over the country. The weatherman has predicted the rains will continue up to the end of the year.

Huge losses have been incurred by farmers who had not harvested or their crops were not mature enough to be harvested.

Animals too have not been spared and are being carried away by floods leading to high mortality rates to the source of income for most farmers.

This has an effect on food security in the country which we hope will not have huge adverse effects come next year.

The Standard has highlighted the following ways in which farmers have been affected by the pounding rains.

Nyatike rice farmers in Migori County, for instance, are counting losses amounting to millions of money after their mature and young rice plants were swept away by floods.

A girl preparing porridge at Kabuto Village in Nyatike after they were displeased from their home. Over 150 Families from Nyora Kabuto village in Nyatike have been displaced by flood following the heavy rain in the country. (Photo by Caleb Kingwara, Standard)

Kuja irrigation scheme resident engineer Eng. Nesline Ogwe said many rice farmers have incurred losses amounting to millions following the flood rage in the region.

“Over 200 acres of immature rice including those in nurseries have been swept away by floods living farmers with huge loses,” Said Ms. Ogwe.

Ms. Ogwe said farmers who had had rice ready for harvest and those which had already been harvested were also swept away by the flood.

“We are going to do the assessment to establish the level of damages so that we can share notes with the Kenya National Irrigation Board to see how the affected farmers can be assisted,” she said

Ms. Ogwe said that the affected farmers may not recover faster from the loss hence they require assistance from the government.

Simon Nkoroto a local at Sintaan Village in Baringo said he has lost all his property due to floods. At the time of the visit, he was home wading in water as he tried to see what remained behind.

“I have lost all my property, all my crops and farm produce swept away,” Nkoroto said.

A local at Sintaan Village in Baringo wading in water as he tries to see what has remained behind. Photo: Kipsang Joseph/Standard

Nancy Lagaitu a mother of seven said the Government should address the issue of flooding in the area once and for all. She said she has lost all her two-acre watermelon and over 50 goats.

Currently, the flooding in Naivasha is due to the heavy rains that have been pounding Nyandarua flooding rivers and sweeping away crops,” Chairman of Lake Naivasha Water Resources User Association Enock Kiminta said.

River Athi broke its banks and flooded Kamulu and neighboring areas. This rendered almost the entire Kamulu area inhabitable with residents, moving to safer places.

They were forced to leave behind their pets, cows, goats and other animals as it emerged the waters were rising.

Some Good News

To help the country cope with the looming food shortage from the ongoing rains that have caused floods, Kenya has received food aid from the Government of Russia.

The contribution worth Sh100 billion was made by the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Kenya Dmitry Maksimychev to the United Nation’s food agency, World Food Programme (WFP).

He said, “This support is an expression of solidarity of the Russian people with the people of Kenya. It will contribute to the achievement by Kenya of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Government of Kenya’s Big Four Agenda on food security.”


Want to get latest farming tips and videos?
Join Us