Meru commissioner urges residents to act before the rains claim more lives
Meru county commissioner George Omollo speaks to the press. Photo by Brian Gitonga
Five deaths in five days prompt urgent call for early evacuation and road safety ahead of heavy rainfall season
By Brian Gitonga
Meru County Commissioner George Omollo yesterday called on residents to treat meteorological warnings seriously and take precautionary measures ahead of anticipated heavy rainfall, cautioning that complacency could cost more lives in a county that has already lost five people to rain-related accidents in five days.
Speaking at a press briefing in Meru town, Omollo pointed to two recent crashes as a sobering illustration of what the approaching season could bring. The first, at Riverland, involved a lorry that reportedly suffered brake failure during a heavy downpour before ramming into several vehicles and pedestrians, killing four people and seriously injuring 16 others. The following day, an accident at Thimangiri left an assistant chief injured. He later succumbed to his wounds, bringing the five-day death toll to five.
“Even though we have not experienced much rainfall yet, we are still concerned because of the recent accidents that occurred while it was raining,” Omollo said. “That is why we urge people to be cautious.”
The commissioner directed particular concern at families living in areas susceptible to flooding and landslides, singling out Maua as a locality where early relocation could prove the difference between safety and tragedy. He warned that waiting for conditions to deteriorate before seeking shelter was a risk no family should take.
“Let us ensure that people living in areas prone to flooding and landslides, especially in Maua, begin moving to safer places,” he said.
Omollo also addressed motorists directly, urging drivers to slow down on slippery roads, avoid driving while fatigued and refrain from attempting to cross flooded rivers or roads — decisions he described as potentially fatal.
“For those using our roads, I appeal to you not to put people’s lives in danger, especially where roads are slippery because of the rains and terrain. Let us also avoid crossing flooded rivers, because such decisions could prove very costly,” he said.
With the Kenya Meteorological Department forecasting increased rainfall across the region, Omollo said preparedness was no longer optional. The deaths recorded in recent days, he stressed, were a warning the county could not afford to ignore.
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