NAIROBI, Kenya
\nKenya\u2019s government has begun bulldozing homes built in flood-prone areas and promising evicted families the equivalent of $75 to relocate after a deadline passed to evacuate amid deadly rains.
\nIn the capital, Nairobi, a bulldozer ripped through iron-sheet walls as people watched in despair. Security forces with guns and batons stood guard and fired tear gas at some residents. The government last week told thousands of people living near rivers, dams and other flood-prone areas to vacate as heavy rains that have left 238 people dead in recent weeks continue to pound.
\nMost of those whose houses are demolished say they do not know where to go, even though the government claims they were notified about options. Human Rights Watch has accused the government of an inadequate response.
\n\u201cNow what are we going to do? We love our president, and that is why we supported him. He should come to our aid,\u201d Jekenke Jegeke told The Associated Press.
\nPresident William Ruto, who visited the vast Mathare informal settlement along the Nairobi River on Monday, said those whose houses had been demolished would be given 10,000 Kenyan shillings ($75) to help them resettle elsewhere.
\nThree people, including two children, have died in Mathare after being run over by bulldozers in the demolitions \u2014 one before the president\u2019s visit and two after it \u2014 according to civil society groups.
\nOpposition leader Raila Odinga last week warned the government against demolishing more houses without a resettlement plan in place.
\nThe number of those affected by the flooding in Kenya has risen to 235,000, with most of them living in camps.
\nInterior Minister Kithure Kindiki on Tuesday reiterated an evacuation order to 200 families living in the Kijabe area an hours\u2019s drive from Nairobi, where about 60 people were killed and houses were swept away when water broke through a blocked railway tunnel last week.
\nThat disaster prompted the government\u2019s evacuation order. It is not clear how many homes across Kenya have been demolished since then.
\nMeanwhile, Kenya\u2019s Cabinet has said that water levels in the country\u2019s two major hydroelectric dams \u2013 Masinga and Kiambere \u2013 have risen to \u201chistoric levels,\u201d with people living downstream on the Tana River told to leave.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NAIROBI, Kenya Kenya\u2019s government has begun bulldozing homes built in flood-prone areas and promising evicted families the equivalent of $75 to relocate after a deadline passed to evacuate amid deadly rains. In the capital, Nairobi, a bulldozer ripped through iron-sheet walls as people watched in despair. Security forces with guns and batons stood guard and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":405920,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-405880","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n