Ahero market benefits from Sh10mn drainage project to deter flooding » Capital News
KISUMU, Kenya, Feb 13 — Ahero Market in Kisumu County is benefiting from a Sh10 million drainage project funded by the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA), a World Bank program aimed at mitigating the effects of flooding.
Ahero and Awasi Municipality Chairman, Prof. Humphrey Oborah, Thursday said work is already underway to unclog and construct drainage systems to facilitate the smooth flow of floodwater.
Oborah noted that, over the years, traders at the market have suffered losses during the long rainy seasons due to water overflow from River Nyando.
“We have started early enough to ensure our people do not lose property to floodwater,” he said.
He added that they are designing local solutions to climate change, incorporating community adaptation and mitigation action plans.
During a visit to the ongoing construction work, Oborah and traders highlighted concerns about the shallow depth of the drainage system.
He emphasized the need for the contractor to build wider and deeper drains to accommodate the water effectively.
“The work has just begun, and we have instructed the contractor to work closely with the traders and address their concerns, as they are the most affected by flooding,” he said.
Climate change resilience
The construction of the Ahero drainage system is one of several climate change resilience investment projects under the FLLoCA initiative in the County Government of Kisumu.
A trader, Violet Achieng, urged the contractor to ensure quality work to prevent future flooding in the market.
“As traders in this market, we have incurred millions in losses. We are hopeful that this time around, we will not experience more flooding,” she said.
Achieng recalled how, in the past, traders were forced to wade through floodwater in the middle of the night to salvage their goods.
Oborah also announced additional interventions, supported by the Netherlands, to enhance tree planting and the construction of gabions along the riverbanks.
He stated that the long-term intervention, a 10-year project worth Sh. 4.9 billion, is a partnership between ‘Trust 2 Impact’ and the County Government of Kisumu.
“We are already piloting reforestation along riparian land and within the agroforestry system, extending to the Mau water towers,” he said.