Thika traders aid Solai Dam victims, ask donations to be dropped at Thika Red Cross.

Samson Njau Kariuki addressing the press on Sunday after the group kicked off the drive to solicit donations from well-wishers in Thika to assist Patel Dam disaster victims in Solai Village Nakuru County.

In the wake of the Patel Dam disaster where over 40 people lost their lives and hundreds left homeless in Solai Village Nakuru County, a group of Thika businessmen have organised themselves in order to lend a helping hand.

In a perfect show of the Kenyan hospitality, Engen Cereals Brokers Association (ECBA) have teamed up with The Thika Branch of the Red Cross to gather food supplies, clothing and toiletries from well-wishers to be delivered to the victims on Thursday next week.

Led by their chairman Mr. James Thuo, the traders on Sunday that they acknowledged that the situation was dire and government alone can’t adequately respond to it, therefore called up on other actors and well-wishers to support these efforts of resuming the situation in Solai.

“In general the dam burst has left behind it thousands of needy people whose plight must be addressed without further delay. Hundreds of women and children are without food, shelter and water. There is therefore an urgent need to mobilise resources, financial as well as material to reach out to our fellow brothers and sisters,” said Thuo.

However, Thuo said that his group was not collecting any liquid cash but was rather concentrating on material support which can be dropped at the Thika Branch of the Red Cross.

In response to that, ECBA has through its members, started collecting cereals, clothing and beddings that they intend to deliver to the victim on Thursday 17 May, 2018.

His counterpart Samson Njau Kariuki emphasised that no donation was too little to help. He pledged to Thika residents to give the little or the much they had without belittling their efforts.

He also asked humanitarian organisations to come to the aid of the displaced, saying most of them did not have any means to rebuild their houses.

“If you have some shirts and pants, some blankets, or other bedding, just drop them off at the Thika Red Cross Branch office. We are also appealing to anyone who can assist us with vehicles to do so that we can comfortably deliver the donations to the people of Solai,” Njau made a solemn appeal.

Catherine Njeri appealed to her fellow women to donated sanitary towels and pampers to aid mothers who needed them as this was a great challenge to them especially now that all that they had was swept away by the raging waters.

Chairman Thika Red Cross Patrick Mungai pledged to extend working hours to 8pm every day to allow all those who wished to drop their donations at their offices ample opportunity to do so. He assured the public that, as Red Cross, they will ensure that the exercise will be above reproach and will guarantee utmost transparency.