State orders residents living near dams to vacate immediately

Residents living near 178 dams have been ordered to immediately vacate within 24 Hours effective (today) Friday.

In a statement on X handle, the Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said 178 dams and water reservoirs situated on Public and Private land in 33 counties have filled up or are nearly filled up and may spill over any time, posing a high risk to persons living in their neighbourhood.

“One hundred and seventy eight (178) Dams and Water reservoirs situated on Public and Private land in thirty three (33) Counties Counties have filled up or are nearly filled up and may spill over any time, posing a high risk to persons living in their neighbourhood.” Said CS Kindiki.

Similarly, the CS directed all persons residing within the 30-Metre riparian corridor of rivers and other water courses across the Country are ordered to vacate immediately for their safety and settlements unlawfully established on riparian land removed.

He said the government has put in place adequate measures to provide temporary shelter as well as food and non-food essential supplies to all those that will be affected by the vacation and evacuation orders.

The CS also noted that mandatory evacuation of affected persons shall be carried out strictly between 0600 hours and 1830 hours, and for the avoidance of doubt, no mandatory evacuation shall be carried out at night.

National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs) have been directed to work with County Governments, Humanitarian Organisations and other stakeholders to ensure that the process of notification, vacation and mandatory evacuation, as well as provision of temporary shelter, food and non-food essential supplies is carried out in a timely, humane and effective way.