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Food, fuel and water crises hit Garissa town

Drone images of floods in Garissa town on December 1, 2023. (Photo: Amin Abubakar)

By Issa Hussein | 28 Nov 2023

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama and County Commissioner Solomon Chesut warned the local traders against hoarding commodities as the crisis continued to bite hard.

Food, fuel and water crises have hit Garissa town following floods that damaged the road infrastructure and further submerged the water pumps at the main Garissa intake plant that supplies water to residents.

The triple crisis comes at a time when the River Tana floods displaced 24,000 locals in Garissa town.

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The food and fuel crisis arose from flash floods that washed the road in the Tula area and also the River Tana floods that damaged the road at Corner Punda in Maroro of Tana River County.

Drone images of the current situation in Garissa town. (Photo: Amin Abubakar)

Abubakar Abdi Farah, who spoke to The Eastleigh Voice said he parked his vehicle in his yard after his efforts to fuel the car at 12 petrol stations in the town were not successful.

He said the town is in a crisis that has never been felt before.

Drone images of the current situation in Garissa town and a view of the IDP camp at the Young Muslim Secondary School. (Photo: Amin Abubakar)

Abubakar said food and vegetable supply has aggravated the situation after traders decided to make a kill out of the crisis.

He said fresh vegetable supply was no more due to the submerged farms and the supply from Thika town was interrupted by the closure of the road.

The current situation in Garissa town which has been adversely affected by floods. (Photo: Courtesy)

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama and County Commissioner Solomon Chesut warned the local traders against hoarding commodities as the crisis continued to bite hard.

State crackdown

The governor said hoarders of essential commodities will be severely punished by the government.

He added that the practice was against the teachings of Islam asking religious leaders to address the issue and exhort traders on the consequences of their indulgence in hoarding.

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama and County Commissioner Solomon Chesut during a visit to the Garissa-Nairobi road infrastructure destroyed by river floods at Mororo on 28 November 2023. (Photo: Courtesy)

The county commissioner also instructed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to investigate traders who tripled the price of goods remaining on their shelves and those hiding commodities in the wake of the crisis.

On the water crisis, the manager of Garissa Water and Sewerage Company (Gawasco) Mohamed Mohamud Dolal said they shut down their operations to supply water to Garissa town after the water pumps at the main intake plant were submerged by the floods from the swollen river.

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama and County Commissioner Solomon Chesut during a visit to the Garissa main intake plant that supplies water to the town on 28 November 2023. (Photo: Courtesy)

He said the situation was worsened after two lower pumps were washed away by the raging floods.

“We are in a serious crisis and urge our clients to harvest enough water from the ongoing rains until the floods subside," said the manager.

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama and County Commissioner Solomon Chesut during a visit to the Garissa main intake plant that supplies water to the town on 28 November 2023. (Photo: Courtesy)

He further noted the situation was likely to be exacerbated by the expected release of the Kindaruma and Masinga dams which have reached their full capacity.

The governor and the county commissioner also toured the intake plant and damaged road infrastructure at Maroro to assess the damages caused by the floods.