Heavy Rainfall Claims 76 Lives, Displaces Thousands in East Africa

As torrential downpours continue to batter Kenya and its east African neighbors, the government has warned residents to “brace for even heavier rainfall” as the death toll mounts. Since March, 76 people have lost their lives due to flooding, a stark reminder of the devastating impact of the El Niño weather system.

The floods have ravaged across the region, leaving over 130,000 people displaced across 24,000 households. Many of these individuals are seeking refuge in the capital, Nairobi, where roads and neighborhoods have been submerged. “We deeply regret to announce the tragic loss of an additional six lives in the last 12 hours, bringing the total to 76,” said government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura, adding that 29 people had sustained injuries and 19 had been reported missing.

Nairobi has borne the brunt of the disaster, with a significant death toll of 32 and 16,909 households displaced. The situation is particularly dire along the Tana river, where all five dams comprising the Seven Forks hydropower project are now at total capacity. “There is a prediction of a massive overflow downstream within the next 24 hours. Residents in these areas are advised to move to higher grounds,” Mwaura warned.

Neighboring Tanzania has also been badly hit, with at least 155 people killed in flooding and landslides. “The situation here is really scary,” said Khatibu Kapara, a resident of Dar es Salaam’s Jangwani neighborhood. “Many people, including myself, have been affected by floods. Many people have lost their property due to floods, their houses have been surrounded” by water.

Burundi, one of the world’s poorest countries, has seen approximately 96,000 people displaced by months of relentless rain, according to the United Nations and the government. Uganda has also been affected, with heavy storms causing riverbanks to overflow, resulting in two confirmed deaths and several hundred villagers displaced.

This latest disaster comes hot on the heels of a devastating drought in the region, which left millions of people hungry. Late last year, more than 300 people died in rains and floods in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia, sparking concern about the region’s ability to cope with such disasters. El Niño, a naturally occurring climate pattern, is typically associated with increased heat worldwide, leading to drought in some parts of the world and heavy rains elsewhere. The UN’s World Meteorological Organization noted in March that the latest El Niño was one of the five strongest ever recorded.

As the region struggles to come to terms with the devastating impact of El Niño, authorities are urging residents to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to protect themselves from the ongoing heavy rainfall.