Since March, flooding in Kenya has claimed the lives of 76 people due to severe rains, with the government urging residents to prepare for even heavier downpours. The heavy rains, intensified by the El Niño weather system, have also affected neighboring East African countries.
Flash floods have overwhelmed roads and neighborhoods, displacing over 130,000 individuals across 24,000 households, particularly in Nairobi.
Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura reported that the death toll has risen by six in the past 12 hours, bringing the total to 76. In addition, 29 people have been injured and 19 are missing. Nairobi is experiencing the worst impact, with 32 deaths and 16,909 households displaced.
Tanzania grapples with fatal floods, leaving Dar es Salaam residents fearful and displaced.Mwaura highlighted that all five dams in Kenya’s Seven Forks hydropower project along the Tana River are at full capacity, with a significant overflow expected in the next 24 hours. Residents in affected areas are advised to seek higher ground.
The monsoon rains have also wreaked havoc in Tanzania, where flooding and landslides have killed at least 155 people. Dar es Salaam resident Khatibu Kapara described the situation as “really scary,” with many losing their homes and property to the floods.
In Burundi, about 96,000 people have been displaced by continuous rains, according to the UN and the government. Uganda has also faced heavy storms causing riverbanks to overflow, resulting in two deaths and several hundred displaced villagers.
Late last year, more than 300 people died from floods and rains across Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia, amidst recovery from a severe drought. The current El Niño is one of the strongest on record, influencing these extreme weather patterns globally.