A flood management group in Merti, Isiolo County has appealing for adequate financial support to ensure that over 3,000 people get cushioned against harsh rain-water runoff that cause havoc during wet seasons.

The financial support will help in reversing the flood’s flow and diverting the runoff from human settlements to avoid displacing local residents or marooning their homesteads.

Large swathes of northern Kenya are either arid or semi-arid and are prone to flash flood, even during dry seasons. The floods, referred to as laga, wreak havoc because they are sudden and unexpected.

According to Cherab Flood Committee Chair Omar Sama, the area residents have been working on the riverbank mitigation through their own initiatives, which had shown some positive results adding that external assistance from the government and non-governmental organisations would boost their efforts.

He disclosed that the local community had been occasionally contributing about Ksh200,000 ($1,550) pay casual workers who manually create diversions for the excess river flows.

“This amount is not enough to cope with the workload needed to control the water flows which had been overwhelming especially when the area experienced heavy rains and the increased water volumes from the run offs upstream,” Sama said and appealed for external support.

Efforts by the Cherab community to stop River Ewaso Ng’iro from changing its course or breaking its banks have gained momentum after the Merti Integrated Development Programme (MID-P) donated Sh. 4 million to the local management committee through the Reversing the Flow Project.

The financial assistance comes when the October, November and December (OND) rains are expected to begin anytime but there was need for additional support in order to help more than 3,000 residents continue with their normal lives during the rainy season.

The residents expressed optimism that the funds would be utilised to avert the persistent flooding problem that occurs when River Ewaso Ng’iro breaks its banks. In the past, flooding led to loss of property worth millions and displacement of hundreds of families, cutting off many parts of Merti from the rest of Isiolo for weeks.

Sama, said the area people had been working on riverbank mitigation through their own initiatives, which have shown positive but temporary results and therefore needs a permanent solution.

A resident, Hassan Golo recounted his losses during the previous floods a year ago, which left many neighbouring households submerged and destroyed. He noted that most residents had already moved to higher ground for safety.

Another resident, Mumina Hussein, recalled the devastating impact caused by the floods and thanked the MID-P organisation for taking prior action that would help the affected families return to their homes and avert similar occurrences in the future. She added that residents could now live without constant fear, as the unpredictable flooding had made life difficult.

The MID-P Project Manager Ibrahim Kabelo stated that more than 1,000 households were displaced during previous floods, often caused by heavy rains upstream. He emphasised that the project is a locally led initiative designed to empower residents to manage and address the challenges they face daily.

Kabelo added that the funds, which will autonomously be managed by the flood committee will primarily be directed to hiring heavy machinery to build barriers and open blocked river pathways.

He said that the residents would continue using manual labour but they would also later hire machinery to assist where manual methods are insufficient, especially in areas where the river has altered its course due to sand build-up and human activity.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By David Nduro