Kenya’s rainy season has turned deadly once again, with police reporting 18 fatalities over the past week due to flooding from ongoing heavy rains. Most of the deaths were attributed to drowning, authorities said on Sunday.
Widespread Impact Across the Country
The Interior Ministry confirmed that more than 54,000 households have been affected by the flooding nationwide, including 6,000 in the capital, Nairobi. Dozens of schools and hospitals have been inundated, and 17 roads have been cut off, disrupting transport and access to essential services.
Mudslides and River Warnings
In the western Rift Valley region, mudslides have forced thousands of residents to relocate to safer areas. Meanwhile, people living downstream of the Tana and Athi rivers have been urged to move to higher ground as water levels in the country’s hydroelectric dams continue to rise.
Kenya’s Meteorological Department has warned that enhanced rainfall is expected to persist through the first two weeks of May, raising concerns of further flooding and damage.
The heavy rains began in March at the start of the rainy season and have already left a trail of destruction, with over 100 people dead by the end of March alone. The current week’s casualties bring the total death toll higher, underscoring the severity of the ongoing weather crisis.
