The national government has established contact with two MPs Ali Wario Guyo (Garsen) and Hiribae Said Buya (Galole) who were reported missing on Saturday at 4 pm in Tana River water waters while attempting to distribute food and rescue their constituents trapped by floods.
In a statement, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki revealed that security agencies had established contact with 18 passengers stranded on the boat and efforts were underway to find the boat whose exact location remained unknown by the time of publishing this article.
The CS added that the Kenya Coast Guard was leading the rescue mission to bring the passengers back to shore.
"Security agencies have established contact with a passenger in the boat that went missing earlier this evening in the waters of Tana River. All the 18 passengers and crew are so far safe but are at a yet-to-be-established location," Kindiki announced.
When they established contact with their colleagues and security agencies, the MPs revealed that they had been on a mission to rescue the residents when they lost their bearing.
The legislators had left shore on a motorboat and were scheduled to distribute food across various homes affected by the floods.
However on their way back, one of the MPs narrated that they lost their direction and had been wandering in the water for hours.
"We need rescuing at this point it is a case of emergency," one of the MPs stated.
The MPs from Garsen and Galole appealed to the government to deploy a rescue team to save them from the predicament.
In a statement, Tana River County officials also revealed that some Members of the County Assembly (MCA) were among the 18 people stranded in the river.
The Kenya Red Cross Coordinator Hassan Musa disclosed that the missing team got lost when they decided to take a shortcut, breaking ranks with other rescue teams which led to them losing their way.
The Kenya Red Cross in liaison with the Kenya Court Guard sent out a rescue party hoping to save the stranded passengers before the floods carried their boat further away.
