Floods leave Kehemu families battling water and disease

For decades, sections of the Kehemu location in Rundu have turned into virtual lakes during the rainy season, forcing residents to wade through knee-deep water just to reach their homes.

For nearly ten years, families have endured persistent flooding, as stagnant water engulfs yards and houses, creating mosquito breeding grounds and exposing residents to serious health risks. Despite repeated complaints, authorities have yet to provide lasting solutions, leaving communities trapped in unsafe and unhygienic conditions.

Johannes Mpande, vice-president of the Kehemu Community Development Committee, said the affected area historically functioned as a natural water catchment, allowing rainwater to settle and gradually seep into the ground.

“It’s actually not drain water, it’s rainwater,” Mpande explained. “Back then, when the water came, it was not as bad as it is now. The area was deep and had reeds, so the water would stand naturally.”

Trapped and soaking wet

Mpande claimed the situation worsened after a vocational training centre was built nearby, allegedly without an environmental assessment or consultation with the community. Sand was dumped on the site, raising the land level and blocking the natural flow of water, he noted.

“What we noticed is that no assessment was done to determine how the water would be managed when the institution was built, and the community was never consulted,” he said. “Rainwater from surrounding areas of Rundu now converges in these sections of Kehemu, where it has nowhere to drain.”

He added that during heavy rainfall, water flows from nearby schools, markets and residential areas, following road networks until it reaches the low-lying sections of Kehemu, where it becomes trapped.

“It used to stand naturally before, but now it accumulates and flows in ways that were never there,” Mpande said.

Flooded homes, malaria risks

About 50 households are affected every rainy season. Heavy downpours leave yards submerged and, in some cases, homes filled with stagnant water for weeks. Some families are forced to temporarily relocate to neighbours, while others remain confined to damp houses surrounded by pools of dirty water.

A 65-year-old pensioner described the situation as a crisis, saying flooding has worsened over the years and contributed significantly to malaria cases in the area.

 “As you can see, my house is completely flooded and this is how I have been living for years. It’s really unhygienic, and we just want the town council to come to our rescue. No one should be subjected to such living conditions,” he said.

Residents say stagnant water has become a permanent mosquito breeding site, while poor sanitation has led to frequent hospital visits. Learners living in the affected sections also struggle to navigate flooded paths to reach their homes.

Lack of action by authorities

During a site visit last month, Job Amupanda, a member of the parliamentary standing committee on urban and rural development and land reform, questioned why rehabilitation of the affected roads was excluded from the town’s capital budget.

“When you plan your capital expenditure, these projects should be included, but it seems the rehabilitation of this road was not,” Amupanda said. “Government funding is allocated based on capital projects. If this is not included, it will not be prioritised. These issues must be factored into planning.”

Residents say since 2016, they have written several letters to authorities, yet no permanent solution has materialised. Namibian Sun sent detailed questions to the Rundu Town Council to establish what measures have been taken to address the flooding but received no response.