Death toll from floods rises to 78 in Kenya as over 130,000 displaced (UPDATE)

Mary Muoki
Citizen Digital
Tue, 23 Apr 2024 11:52 UTC

© Francis Nderitu

Residents of Ruaka in Nairobi, Kenya salvage properties after heavy rains which occurred in various parts of the country evening left roads and a number of homesteads flooded on April 23, 2024.

The death toll from the ongoing floods in the country has hit 38, with the Kenya Red Cross now warning that the flood situation is moving from an emergency to a disaster level.

Over 60 families in Kirinyaga County have been rendered homeless after River Thiba burst its banks, leaving behind a trail of misery and destruction.

The affected residents were rudely woken up during the night by waters from the flooded river, forcing hundreds including children to spend the night in the cold after their homes were completely submerged. Property of unknown value was also destroyed by the floods.

"It is bad, it is a disaster. The people we find mostly getting affected are the people without alternatives, we are trying as much as possible with our teams to map out the populations at risk," Venant Ndhigila, Head of disaster Operations, Kenya Red Cross, said.

Kirinyaga residents say the floods are a perennial problem every time it rains.

"We are suffering here all along, every time as you can see. We thought this would be the solution," Peter Ndegwa, one of the residents, said.

The new fatalities bring to over 110,000 the number of people who have been affected by floods across the country, with 24 counties worst hit.

Nairobi leads with the number of casualties and fatalities. The situation is expected to get worse with the weatherman now predicting enhanced rainfall in the coming week.

Subsequently, Central Regional Commissioner Fredrick Shisia has appealed to those living in low lands to move to safer grounds until the situation normalises, warning that the continued rains may trigger mud slides in the region.

The Kenya Met Department has warned of above-average rainfall in most parts of the country with flooding expected in low-lying areas, those in flood plains as well as in urban areas with poor drainage.

Comment: Update April 27

AFP reports:

Seventy-six people in Kenya have lost their lives to floods triggered by torrential monsoon downpours since March, the government said Saturday, warning residents "to brace for even heavier rainfall".

Kenya and its East African neighbours have been battered by stronger than usual rain in recent weeks, compounded by the El Nino weather pattern.

Flash floods have submerged roads and neighbourhoods, leading to the displacement of more than 130,000 people across 24,000 households, many of them in the capital Nairobi, government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said Saturday.

"We deeply regret to announce the tragic loss of an additional six lives in the last 12 hours bringing the total to 76," he said, adding that 29 Kenyans had suffered injuries and 19 been reported missing.