Northern Kenya

Garissa residents start to rebuild after floods

A deserted commercial street in the Winsor area of Garissa Township, as pictured on May 19, 2024, following heavy rain and flooding. (Photo: Issa Hussein/EV)

By Issa Hussein | Sunday, May 19, 2024

Visits on Sunday found some residents cleaning and carrying out repairs at their homes and businesses, where the floodwaters had subsided.

Flood-affected residents of Garissa County have started rebuilding following heavy destruction caused by the heavy rain and flooding that made the River Tana burst its banks.

Visits by The Eastleigh Voice on Sunday found some residents cleaning and carrying out repairs at their homes and businesses, where the floodwaters had subsided.

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On a commercial street in the Winsor area of Garissa town was retail shop owner Mohamed Abdi Osman, who said they had experienced heavy destruction.

"I lost property worth Sh500,000. This is the second time in five months that I am counting this type of loss," he said, adding, however, that he was among the few traders to make a comeback after a month of little to no activity.

Views of Ben Marangu, chairman of the Winsor residential area of Garissa Township, during an interview with The Eastleigh Voice on May 19, 2024. (Photo: Issa Hussein/EV)

Ben Marangu, chairman of the Winsor residential area, said the losses ran into millions of shillings.

"This commercial street was busy with people, but today it is deserted, with only a few traders coming to clean and repair their business premises. The majority of families are still in IDP camps as their houses are still filled with water and sticky mud," said Marangu, who runs a pool game business.

A home at Bulla Kamor in Garissa Township, that was destroyed by floods, is pictured on May 19, 2024. (Photo: Issa Hussein/EV)

He said that before the heavy rain, he earned about Sh3,000 a day, but that this was no longer the case as most Winsor residents moved.

"Most of my customers were police officers from the nearby Garissa Police Station and youth from Garissa town who are fans of the pool game," he said.

He appealed to the national and county governments to support small owners affected by the floods.

An unopened shop in the Winsor area of Garissa Township, as pictured on May 19, 2024, following heavy rain and flooding. (Photo: Issa Hussein/EV)

Most of the traders in the area were yet to reopen their businesses, but resident Abdikadir Yusuf was hopeful that vibrancy would return.

"Once the floodwaters fully subside, this street will be dramatic again. People are still counting losses and repairing their structures," he said.

More than 21,000 people were displaced in Garissa town after the River Tana's overflow and are living in 11 camps for the internally displaced that have been set up in Garissa town.