Abstract

The behavior and thinking of disaster victims should be analyzed and understood even as experts continue to deescalate the destructive effects of such occurrences. Why people choose to live and reside in ecologically fragile environments like flood plains or steep slopes prone to mudslides or avalanches is a complex phenomenon that social scientists need to demystify. This study was conducted in the Nyando sub-catchment, Kano Plains in Kisumu County, Kenya. The study’s objectives were to understand the reason for complacency of flood victims and to determine the effects and vulnerability of flood events in Kano Plains. Both qualitative and quantitative methodologies were used. Stratified sampling technique was used to select the three flood prone areas in Kano, namely, Nyando, Miwani and Lower Nyakach as study sites. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 100 households for the survey while Purposive sampling was used to select the key informants. Methods of data collection were; questionnaires, key informant interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs) and desk reviews. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the questionnaires, and the qualitative data from key informants was analyzed using content analysis method. FGDs recordings were transcribed and analyzed thematically using NVIVO software. The main research findings were that socio economic factors such us household income, household size and culture plays an important role in determining the choice of site to reside, thus the complacency, and that loss of farmland (17.98%), houses and property (69.66%) were considered the most serious effects of floods. The study therefore concludes that socio economic determinants such as household income, household size and type of housing have a significant role in determining household vulnerability to floods.