Facing mounting pressure to declare a national disaster, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki pledged to help hundreds of thousands of people affected by floods as the death toll hit 51, officials said on Wednesday.
In a meeting with visiting United States senator Russell Feingold of Wisconsin, Kibaki said the “government is assisting communities affected by floods occasioned by the ongoing rains”, his office reported in a statement.
Kibaki said “current rains have adversely affected the country’s infrastructure … but the government is doing everything possible to ensure the damaged roads and bridges are rehabilitated,” according to the statement.
The president spoke as officials said crocodiles from the flooded River Tana killed four people in the remote coastal region over the last two weeks, bringing the death toll to 51 since unusually heavy rains began to pound the East African nation in October.
Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) official Simon Kiai told marooned residents to watch out for dangerous crocodiles while crossing the river, the state-owned Kenya News Agency reported.
The United Nations has said at least 723Â 000 people have been affected by the flooding, including tens of thousands of Somali refugees, prompting the KRCS to urge the government to declare an emergency.
The last time Kibaki declared a national disaster was at the end of last year, when a scorching drought hit East Africa, putting millions at risk. Many of those affected by the drought live in the very areas now inundated by the floods.
The KRCS appealed for $8-million earlier this month to assist an estimated 300Â 000 people. Officials said the appeal is likely to be revised as numbers of those affected by the flooding grow. — AFP