Death toll rises in Kenyan flooding

Police said over 2,600 families have been displaced, while Nairobi is the hardest-hit region

Floods have killed at least 81 people across Kenya this month, with emergency teams deployed nationwide as heavy rains continue, the Kenyan National Police Service said on Sunday. 

Authorities stated search and rescue operations were ongoing in coordination with other agencies, as rising waters triggered flash floods, displaced about 2,690 families, and damaged infrastructure. Fatalities were reported in eastern, coastal, Nyanza, Rift Valley, and central regions.

“Nairobi remains the hardest-hit region, with 37 victims,” according to a statement. The death toll across the country has risen by dozens in the past two weeks. 

Officials in the capital have intensified drainage clearing, river desilting, and clean-up operations, while also demolishing illegal structures built along riverbanks to reopen blocked waterways and improve water flow. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has also ordered an urgent overhaul of the Nairobi Dam to reduce the risk of further flooding.

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Kenyan police warned that the rains were expected to persist and urged the public to remain cautious. Authorities said emergency units remained on high alert.

Torrential rains in Kenya set in on March 6. Owing to its equatorial climate, the African state generally has two rainy seasons annually. The principal one, referred to as the “long rains,” typically runs from March through May and delivers the most intense precipitation across much of the country, including the capital, Nairobi. On February 24, the Kenya Meteorological Department announced the start of the March-April-May (MAM) long rains nationwide.

Kenya is not the only African nation to be hit by severe flooding linked to torrential rains. Earlier this year, intense downpours in Mozambique led to widespread flooding and forced authorities to declare a nationwide red alert. According to regional officials, more than 650,000 people were affected, with tens of thousands of homes submerged and critical infrastructure – including schools and health centers – damaged.

READ MORE: Russia delivers aid to flood-hit Mozambique (PHOTOS)

In South Africa, prolonged downpours have inundated the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, killing at least 30 people, damaging thousands of homes, and prompting evacuations, including in Kruger National Park.