On Tuesday, April 30, 2024, Kenya‘s President William Ruto visited the flooded Kamuchiri village, located northwest of Nairobi.
Given the forecasts of high rainfall, the cabinet announced that residents residing in flood-prone and landslide-affected areas will need to relocate. Homes situated near these high-risk zones will be impacted.
“Within 48 hours from tomorrow, everyone living in the riparian zones should vacate,” Ruto said.
“In Nairobi and all over the country, because we do not want to keep losing the lives of our citizens. We will put in place adequate plans to feed them, shelter them and provide all the necessary requirements. We decided this in cabinet today and the government will work with development partners on this undertaking.”
President Ruto also addressed survivors of the village where a river broke through a tunnel on Monday, killing scores.
“I know you have lost your children. Up to now, 48 dead bodies of children, women and men have been retrieved from here. Even though most of the about 100 people that were in hospitals have been treated and discharged, we still have about 26 people admitted.”
Since mid-March, relentless heavy rains have wreaked havoc, destroying homes, infrastructure, and displacing over 100,000 people nationwide.
In response, the cabinet has devised plans to forcibly remove individuals who fail to comply with evacuation orders. However, the logistics of issuing notifications and executing evacuations on short notice remain unclear.
