Flood levels continued to rise yesterday in Budalangi, Busia district, as more camps were being opened to accommodate the victims.

Busia District Commissioner, Nathan Hirbae, said every effort was being made to ensure that no one was trapped by the raging floods.

The DC said the situation was becoming more pathetic as there was an acute shortage of drugs and food, especially for the infants.

"As this problem escalates, I urge well-wishers to come to the rescue of infants by supplying them with high energy foods and medication," he said.

Speaking to the Sunday Nation on the phone, Mr Hiribae said the first consignment of the 1,600 bags of maize and the 400 bags of beans had left Malaba for the scene.

He said the food was late in reaching the venue because there was no means of transportation. "We are now glad that the Kenya Army has given us a lorry with which to transport the food. We believe it should be there by now," he said.

More than 2,000 residents of Budalangi have for the past one week been rendered homeless after heavy floods occasioned by the collapsing of the Northern dyke on the Nzoia river swept the area.

The magnitude of the problem was so severe that soldiers from the Kenya Army were deployed to help in rescue efforts.Others helping in the rescue mission are the Red Cross, Action Aid and the Provincial Administration.

So far, no casualties have been reported. But it is feared that lives may soon be lost as an unknown number of people still remain trapped on the far side of the collapsed dyke without boats to take them to safety. Homes and hundreds of acres of crops have been destroyed, posing fear of famine.

The evacuees are camping at Mudembi Pentecostal Church, Mudembi Chief's Camp and the Bulemia trading centre while two primary schools, Igigo and Sibuka, have been closed and their pupils sent to other schools.

The two worst-hit locations are Bunyala East and Khajula. But with the rising flood levels, the DC said, more locations will soon be affected.