By Antynet Ford
The body of the Kamukunji police officer who drowned on Sunday while rescuing trapped families at the Machakos Country bus is yet to be retrieved.
The body of the officer is believed to be trapped in the drainage under stalls built at the famous bus terminus.
Efforts by the Nairobi County disaster management team, Nairobi Water with the help of the National Police Service are yet to bore fruits.
Nairobi regional police boss Adamson Bungei said the search for the officer and the AK47 rifle with 30 bullets is still on.
The police commander added that emergency teams across the city as of yesterday collected 10 bodies from various places in the city.
“Some of the collected bodies do not have identification documents while others were naked. Raging water can strip one naked.” Bungei said.
The police boss said they had mobilized several emergency service providers to respond to various places and help in attending to those affected.
A County official revealed that the stalls where the officer drowned will be brought down adding that they were illegally built at the place as they are not safe.
“The stalls will be brought down and the place leveled. The place as you can see is not safe and all we can say is that they are illegally there.” He said.
Approximately 1,200 affected households in the city have been identified in various informal settlements with Mukuru Kwa Njenga and Mukuru Kwa Reuben.
Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja who visited various affected areas directed the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company to mobilize its Water bowsers and deploy them to the affected areas to provide residents with clean drinking water.
“The green Nairobi team will form and deploy One hundred and seventy personnel who will be available as a rapid response unit ready to be deployed to unblock and unclog drainages in hot spot areas. This will complement the normal activities of the rest of the Green Army.” Sakaja stated.
“The Disaster Management Team will collaborate with the National Police Service, National Disaster Operations Centre, and the Red Cross to aid in the search and recovery efforts of the missing persons.” He added.
The County Government in collaboration with National Government, National Police Service, and the Red Cross, has initiated an emergency response program, to address and redress the situation.
Emergency Response Teams, including Nairobi Water and Sewerage Service, Health, Wellness, and Nutrition; Mobility and Works, and Disaster Management teams have also been deployed to the affected areas to provide the necessary support and manage the situation.
The county has also been working with the Red Cross and other stakeholders, the County has mapped out the most affected households and is in the process of mobilizing relief items to support those affected.
Those in dire situations have been requested to call the hotline number 1508 in case of any emergencies.
