The government has ordered people residing within the immediate neighbourhood of 178 filled up or nearly filled up water reservoirs to vacate the area.
In a statement, Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki indicated that the dams which are within 33 specified counties are ordered to leave the areas immediately before they are forcefully ejected.
County Security and Intelligence Committees (CISCs) in each county are directed to continuously monitor areas that are susceptible to mudslides, including but not limited to the counties of Nandi, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Murang’a, Nyeri, Machakos and Makueni, and to recommend specific areas where mandatory evacuation orders may be issued.
The CSICs are directed to determine on a case-by-case basis the radius that will constitute the scope of the area subject to vacation or mandatory evacuation orders.
They are also required to continuously monitor other dams or water reservoirs across the country that may not be presenting a risk now but could do so in the event of further precipitation.
The government has put in place adequate measures to provide temporary shelter as well as food and non-food essential supplies to all those that will be affected by these orders in the event that they require assistance.
National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs) are directed to work with county governments, humanitarian organizations and other stakeholders to ensure that the process of notification, vacation or mandatory evacuation, as well as provision of temporary shelter, food and non-food essential supplies is carried out in a timely, humane and effective manner.
Mandatory evacuation of affected persons will be carried out strictly between 0600 hours and 1830 hours, and, for the avoidance of doubt, no mandatory evacuation will be carried out at night.
Security agencies will enforce the orders with the support of the National Youth Service (NYS).
The Nairobi Regional and County Security Teams are directed to work with the Nairobi City County Government and the Multi-agency Team under the auspices of the National Disaster Operation Centre (NDOC) to ensure the immediate vacation or mandatory evacuation of all persons within the 30-metre riparian land along the Nairobi rivers (Mathare, Ngong’ and Nairobi), and thereafter oversee the removal of all buildings and structures within the riparian land.
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By Obegi Malack
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