Heavy rains pounded Ijara Constituency in Garissa County over the weekend making roads impassable following the continuous deluge that lasted over 24 hours. Residents of Ijara through the spokesman of Masalani watchdog CBO chairman Abdullahi Abdi are now calling on both the national and county governments to allocate funds to mitigate the environmental destruction caused by Elnino induced rains. Abdi said the road towards Hola is cut off as vehicles plying Garissa-Hola road and those from Mombasa, Malindi, Garsen road are stranded at Boji in Tana river County. However, Ijara residents further appealed to their leaders led by Ijara MP Abdi Ali Sheikhow and Garissa Senator Abdul Mohamed Haji, Garissa Governor Nadhif Jama and the donor community including the Kenya Red Cross, Kesho Alliance, National Drought Management Authority and Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government to assist them by allocating resources for disaster management including relief food to alleviate suffering. Ijara, Hulugho and Bothai sub counties are most affected and food is not entering the area due to poor road network. Kenya Meteorological Department did not include Ijara constituency as hotspot area the area which will be affected by heavy downpour suspected to be Elnino induced rain. The entire Ijara constituency comprises of 480 km from Garissa, -Masalani-Ijara town to Sangailu, through Galmagala in Fafi constituency and Hulugho sub County to the Kenya-Somalia border. The residents said if the government and donor community could not come to their aid Ijara will be in a very bad situation. Ijara Deputy County Commissioner Mr Wachira Chamtpon, his Hulugho counterpart Mr David Luka and Bothai sub County Assistant County Commissioner Mr Chana Marka said the road is impassable as rain continues to pound the region. The KCPE and KAPSEA examinations scripts were brought by a helicopter in Hulugho, Bodhai and Ijara sub counties after three Kenya Police Reservists were killed by suspected militia at Nanighi area in Fafi constituency while two GSU officers were killed and several injured when Alshabab militants planted an IUD device on the road blowing their vehicles as they were escorting KCPE examination papers on road last week.

Source: Kenya News Agency