In the week beginning Monday, April 20, the country was reeling from the shock of escalating Covid-19 cases with any other emergencies being regarded as secondary.
The national conversation was largely focused on the virus and less on the deadly floods destroying livelihoods of thousands of Kenyans countrywide. Nation Media Group photographer Ondari Ogega, however, refused to stand by and watch.
On Friday, April 22, the reporter took a number of disheartening photos that were shared widely on social media making it to the top story of the Daily Nation the following morning, bringing the floods menace into the national consciousness.
In an interview with Disaster Risk Reduction Network of African Journalists (DIRAJ), Ogega disclosed that one image which was shared widely on social media, of a woman attempting to wade through floodwaters while carrying two goats, turned out to be the most impactful of his career.
"I would say it is [the best photo] because when it went out through our digital platforms and the print paper the next day, it got people talking and many of them were calling for action. A few of my peers reached out and told me how it was a good photo.
"But what made me feel more contented was how people were calling for action because, amidst this Corona pandemic, much focus has been given to counter the Corona pandemic. No one was giving any consideration to the plight of the victims of floods," stated Ogega
"And this photo in a way got people talking to relevant authorities to move into action and save the victims of floods," he added.
He observed that for the years he had been covering floods in the Nyanza region, the 2020 disaster was the worst he had ever witnessed.
"I did not picture that I would get this kind of image as I was heading out to the location. Naturally, we’ve been covering floods in Nyando area for years but it has never been of this magnitude In all the years that I have covered it, I think for four or five years back.
"For this year, it was a bit different. The floods had wreaked havoc and had moved into homes that the floods had never been to for I think twenty years or so," he added.
Since the photos emerged, the topic of the floods that have claimed over 100 lives and left thousands displaced, has taken centre stage in the country with county governments finding ways to mitigate the effects amid sustained efforts against Covid-19.
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