Volunteers and residents in eastern Kenya searched late Sunday for missing people after a boat capsized. The vessel carried dozens of people after the Tana River, the nation’s longest river, burst its banks. The search and rescue was suspended to resume in daylight. Survivors in Garissa County were brought to the Buratana Nursing Home. Some could not contain their anger at authorities. “Every time, every month you people are adding levies, levies, after levies, where are you directing these levies too? When you can’t take care of your people. Your people are dying. How many people today have survived? Only 25 of us were able to be rescued. Where are the rest at? Why did they die? Because of the negligence of the government,” Abubakar said.
“Why are you a government? If you can’t help the people who have taken you to that power why can’t you resign? We have good people who can help these people. What are you doing in offices? Why can people die in such circumstances while you people are sitting in your offices taking money?”
Kenya has seen weeks of heavy rains and severe flooding which have officially killed at least 70 people.
The deputy president said Friday (Apr. 26) that the government set aside 4 billion Kenyan shillings about ($29 million) for emergency relief efforts.
The reopening of schools was postponed to May 6.
