Kenya: Death, destruction and displacement as heavy rains hit Kenya

Nairobi, Kenya - April 25, 2024 Kenya is experiencing heavy rains that have disrupted normal business across the East African country, resulting in the loss of more than 38 lives and the destruction of property. In the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, at least one person was killed and six people were missing in the Mathare slums on Wednesday following an overnight downpour. Residents of this informal settlement, mostly low-income earners, found themselves stranded in their homes due to severe flooding. In other parts of the capital, residents also woke up to flooded homes and businesses, impassable roads, and downed trees after a night of heavy rains. Some areas were cut off from the city due to stormwater flooding the streets. Emily Kamau, a businesswoman, said her day had been ruined because she could not get new purchases for her groceries. "My business premises were flooded two days ago, and I lost part of my stock. Today, the rains have cut me off. It is discouraging." In Kirinyaga County in central Kenya, more than 60 families were rendered homeless on Tuesday after the Thiba River burst its banks and flooded their homes and businesses. The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) said in a statement on Tuesday that at least 38 people have been killed by floods across Kenya, noting that the flood situation is moving from emergency to disaster level. Since the onset of the March-April-May rains, multiple counties have felt the effects, resulting in affected households, displacements, the establishment of displacement camps, submerged arable land, impacted businesses, and livestock deaths, the humanitarian agency said. According to the KRCS, the heavy rains have affected at least 23 counties across the country and left more than 110,000 people homeless. The humanitarian agency added that crops on more than 27,716 acres (about 112 square kilometers) have been destroyed and about 5,000 livestock killed. "The flooding situation is a disaster. The people most affected are those without alternatives. We are trying as much as possible with our teams to map the population at risk," said Venant Ndhigila, head of disaster operations with the KRCS. Kenya has experienced unprecedented heavy rainfall, with some areas receiving up to 200 mm in one day, according to the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD). The institution warned that the rains would cause flooding across the country, with residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas advised to move to higher ground. Kenyan authorities at both county and national government levels have directed residents in flood-prone areas to move to higher ground. SHOTLIST: 1. various of floods in Nairobi. ( Original Title: Kenya: Death, destruction and displacement as heavy rains hit Kenya )