Residents vacate homes as Kenneth slowly lands in Mtwara

By Deodatus Mfugale

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Hundreds of Mtwara town residents and its environs have vacated their homes to relocate to safer places before Tropical Storm Kenneth makes a landfall in Mtwara town in the afternoon today. By 6.00am today, light showers had started falling in the town and its outskirts as the wind also became stronger by the hour. Most of those who moved to safer places have their homes located close to shore, thus most vulnerable to the negative impacts of the tropical storm.

The Mtwara Municipal Director Col. Emmanuel Mwaigobeko identified safe areas that people should move to as Mtwara airport,Majengo, and Tandika Primary schools, Naliendele army camp and Mitego and Sabodo secondary schools. “ All schools should remain closed. Employees should not go to work today and all should move to safe areas as directed. Do not take anything with you,” he stressed.

Earlier the Tanzanania Meteorological Authority Manager for the Southern Zone Daudi Amasi had identified vulnerable areas from which people should vacate as including, Mikindani, Mtepwezi, Kiyanga, Kiyangu, Chuno, Miseti, Skoya and Rreli all of which are close to the shore. ”These are the areas that will probably be most hit by the storm. People must vacate their homes very early in the morning,” he warned, adding that people in other areas must also move to safe places.

The Mtwara regional Commissioner Gelacius Byakanwa also warned Mtwara residents, particularly fishermen to stay away from the ocean the whole day today until the situation normalized.”This warning also applies to all those who use vessels for purposes other than fishing. Please stay away from the ocean,” the RC warned.

A resident of Mtwara town Abdallah Mbangile said in an interview that by 8.00 this morning the wind had started to gain strength and there were light showers.” We are leaving our homes and I am relocating to the airport for safety,” he said. However, not everyone heeded to the warning given by the leaders. “Some people are reluctant to leave their places; maybe they don’t realize the danger that goes with storms,” explained Mbangile.

A journalist working for Safari Radio in Mtwara town, Baraka Jamal said that there were light showers early in the morning and a weak wind. “There was a bit of wind at night but then it died off. Right now (8.15 am) there is a bit of wind, a weak one. Maybe it will pick up soon,” he said.

According to the journalist all offices have been closed for today and residents have been seen relocating to places identified by the government leaders. Media houses, the police, the army and hospital staffs are the only departments that have been allowed to operate. “Our offices are located very close to the ocean but we have to be on duty in order to inform people on what is going on regarding the storm,” he said.

Yet there are people who are stubborn and have gone about to their duties. “Some people from other departments reported for duty but were sent off by their leaders. Fishermen are also difficult people; they think they know the ocean better than anyone else and have defied the warning sounded by the leaders. Some of them have gone out fishing,” explained Jamal.

According to the Tanzania Meteorological Authority, Tropical Storm Kenneth is expected to make a landfall in Mtwara from 12.00 noon and climax at 14hrs. The storm will travel at about 80kph in Mtwara and Lindi regions of southern Tanzania and all modes of transport will be affected. Road transport infrastructure is likely to be severely damaged. The storm would also affect areas as far as 500 kilometres from Mtwara.

ENDS

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Eraenvironnement.com est un site internet français fondé en 2013 par Houmikouloussoumi ( Houmi) Ahamed à Paris. Il diffuse des articles spécialisés autour du journalisme de solutions. Les mots Era et Environnement sont deux mots anglais et français. Il signifient ère( traduction du mot anglais era) et Environnement (mot français). Era Environnement représente une ambition globale d'impulser une nouvelle approche de l'éducation environnementale à travers le journalisme. Anciennement situé à Paris, Era Environnement était une association de loi 1901 créée en 2016. Elle a été dissoute en 2017. Le site internet publie régulièrement des analyses sur les actions de coopération sud-sud ainsi que les relations nord-sud. Il traite des informations sud-nord liées à l'environnement. Il traite du changement climatique et des questions de développement durable. Fin 2018, Houmi Ahamed s'installe aux Comores, dans l'Océan Indien. S'inscrivant dans sa démarche de journalisme de solutions et d'éducation environnementale, elle dirige en 2019 Era Environnement SARL, une entreprise créée en 2018 dans l'archipel des Comores. Era Environnement SARL mène au mois de novembre 2019 un projet significatif dans petit état insulaire, marquée par de nombreuses crises politiques. Cette initiative innovante vise à former dix jeunes femmes issues de zones rurales et côtières . Le cœur du projet est de mettre en lumière des solutions concrètes face au changement climatique en valorisant les savoirs traditionnels comoriens. Un accent particulier est mis alors sur le village natal des parents de Houmi Ahamed, soulignant l'importance d'une approche communautaire et enracinée dans la culture locale pour l'éducation environnementale. Ce projet se concrétise par la création d'une radio en ligne, radio Era Environnement. Avec le soutien de l'UNESCO, cette initiative illustre l'engagement d'Era Environnement pour des actions pratiques et basées sur l'implication des communautés dans la compréhension des enjeux environnementaux. Aujourd'hui, l'entreprise ERA ENVIRONNEMENT SARL n'existe plus aux Comores. Elle est en phase de restructuration en France. Son objectif actuel est de mettre en œuvre de nouveaux projets qui intègrent spécifiquement la jeunesse, soulignant ainsi davantage son engagement envers les générations futures et le développement durable.