Residents and traders in Isiolo’s Soko Mjinga area endured a Good Friday night to forget, after a heavy downpour caused flooding that destroyed property worth millions of shillings and displaced hundreds from their homes.
By Saturday morning, residents were seen clearing mud and water from their businesses and homes in an attempt to salvage what remained.
The area manager, Stephen Mwiti, said more than 200 families had been affected by the flash floods.
Peter Kivuva, a local businessman, recalled witnessing a child trapped by the fast-moving waters. “No one could help because of the risk involved,” he said.
Mwiti urged both the county and national governments to implement proper stormwater drainage systems to protect the area from future floods.
Lucia Manyara, an elderly resident, shared her harrowing experience. Trapped inside her home as the water levels rose, she was rescued by a group of young men.
Physically disabled, she was unable to move to safety on her own. “I’ve lived here since I was a young girl. I’ve never seen such heavy rainfall,” she said.
Area residents are now calling for the upgrading of the Soko Mjinga bridge into a box culvert to allow higher volumes of water to flow through unimpeded.
They are also asking the government to demolish illegal structures built on waterways, which they say worsen the impact of floods on communities living downstream.
