Kenya Floods Claim 81 Lives, Displacing Thousands Amid Heavy Rains

Torrential rains, causing severe flash floods across Kenya, have resulted in at least 81 deaths this month, officials reported on Sunday. The relentless downpours continue to wreak havoc in vast regions of the nation.

“The cumulative number of fatalities has unfortunately risen to 81,” stated national police spokesman Muchiri Nyaga.

The flash floods have ravaged numerous areas, displacing approximately 2,690 families and inflicting significant damage on infrastructure and property.

Nairobi, the capital, has been the hardest hit, with 37 confirmed fatalities, according to Nyaga.

On Friday night, authorities urged residents to evacuate several slum neighborhoods located downstream from the Nairobi dam. Rising water levels posed an imminent flood risk by threatening to breach the dam’s embankment, as reported by local media. So far, the dam has held firm.

Overnight, in Kiambu, just outside Nairobi, two people tragically drowned, police informed AFP.

Additionally, landslides in the western village of Kasaka resulted in the deaths of two more individuals, with multiple homes buried, Citizen TV reported.

The rain is expected to persist until Tuesday, prompting authorities to issue warnings urging “extreme caution.”

The March rains have turned Nairobi’s streets into torrential streams repeatedly, inundating thousands of homes and businesses.

Amidst the crisis, critics have demanded the resignation of Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, who, upon taking office in 2022, promised enhancements to the city’s drainage and road infrastructure.

Scientific research indicates that human-induced climate change is heightening the likelihood, intensity, and duration of extreme weather events. Studies reveal that East Africa has experienced more severe rains and droughts over the past two decades.