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Massive Floods Hits Kenya, As 10 People Reported Dead

10 people have been reported dead with several homes and businesses destroyed after massive floods hits Kenya.

The Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) has issued a warning of more flooding across the country, encouraging inhabitants in flood-prone areas to relocate to higher ground. Government officials have reiterated these warnings, ordering residents near dams to relocate to safer regions to reduce the chance of more disaster.

The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) has released a heartbreaking statement confirming that at least 38 people have died as a result of the floods that are wreaking havoc across Kenya. The KRCS has warned of the severe effects of the continued floods, describing the situation as progressing from an emergency to a full-fledged disaster.

Heavy rains battering the African nation have claimed lives and interrupted normal economic operations. According to Xinhua, more than 38 people died in the deluge, and houses were severely damaged.

In Nairobi, one person died, and six others went missing in the Mathare slums after a continuous nocturnal downpour. The resulting floods trapped individuals in their homes, particularly in low-income regions such as Mathare, where severe flooding made mobility nearly impossible.

Residents in other parts of Nairobi awoke to scenes of fallen trees, impassable roads, and flooded homes and businesses—all results of the nonstop rain. Stormwater flooded the streets, cutting off several areas from the rest of the city. The Athi River further exacerbated the situation by inundating Kitengela’s main bridge, trapping thousands of people.

Emily Kamau, a businesswoman whose livelihood was severely impacted by the flooding, and John Kimeu, an office worker stranded at a bus terminus in Kitengela, brought attention to the plight of affected individuals.

In Kirinyaga County, tragedy struck again when the Thiba River overflowed its banks and flooded more than sixty families’ homes and businesses.

The KRCS reports that the intense rains have destroyed crops on thousands of acres of land, killed thousands of livestock, and forced over 110,000 people to flee at least 23 counties in Kenya.

The flooding situation has been described as a disaster by Venant Ndhigila, head of disaster operations at KRCS, who noted that it is especially impacting vulnerable populations. While efforts are being made to support those who are in danger, the crisis is still very large in scope.

More flooding is expected across the nation, according to the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD), which is advising people living in flood-prone areas to relocate to higher ground. In an effort to reduce the likelihood of another tragedy, government authorities have reiterated these warnings and advised locals living close to dams to relocate to safer areas.

As Kenya grapples with this unprecedented natural disaster, international organizations such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development’s Climate Prediction and Application Center (ICPAC) have highlighted the unusual nature of this season’s heavy rains, emphasizing the critical need for coordinated efforts to address the crisis and assist affected communities.