The Kenya Red Cross has warned residents in parts of Kirinyaga County to prepare for possible flooding and landslides as heavy rains are expected.
Kirinyaga Red Cross Coordinator Martin Kagunda said several areas have experienced flooding and landslides in the past, with homes and property destroyed and families forced to move to safer areas.
In Mwea, residents living near River Thiba in Kithogondo and Jambo Ville are among those at risk.
Mahigaini is also prone to flooding, while areas around Ndia and Gichugu face the risk of landslides.
Kagunda also warned residents living near abandoned quarries and swamps in Mwea to keep away during heavy rains.
He said previous rains caused serious damage in Mahigaini and Kamweti, where a landslide swept through several acres of tea farms.
“At Kamweti, the landslide covered several acres of tea plantation, causing destruction to a tea farmer who was known as Mwangi,” Kagunda said.
He asked people living in areas that regularly flood or experience landslides to move before the situation becomes dangerous.
“If you know you live in an area that is affected by rains, it is better to move to safer ground,” he said.
Kagunda said Red Cross response teams are ready to assist and have been trained in first aid and weather monitoring.
The organisation is also working with government agencies to clear drainage channels in Mwea and prepare roads and power infrastructure for the rains.
Tebere Ward MCA Peter Karinga said more than 1,000 people had been affected by previous floods in Ngurubani, Kithogondo and Kiamanyeki.
Residents have called on the county and national governments to act early, warning that flooding in the Mwea rice scheme could also make it difficult for farmers to reach their farms.
