Torrential rains claims 83 lives as 70 people perished following heavy downpour wrecking havoc across the country
Floods have displaced more than 100,000 Kenyans, with 83 deaths reported.
Floods have also displaced 24,196 houses, totaling 131,450 people
Government Spokesperson Dr Isaac Mwaura, has now announced that heavy downpour has claimed 83 lives after 13 bodies were recovered within the last day
Issuing the periodic updates at Nyayo House on Saturday 27th April, Mwaura disclosed that floods have displaced 24,196 households comprising 131,450 people
He affirmed that the State has stepped up the search and rescue mission through a multi-agency team
Four bodies were retrieved from River Kwa Musii in Makueni, bringing the number of deaths from the lorry incident to nine.
Another body was recovered today in Mathare, bringing the death toll in Nairobi to 15, as three others including a man, his wife and their neighbour drowned in Machakos after the swollen Tindanda River swept away their vehicle.
This is as hundreds of families continue to bear the brunt of the floods across the country
This brings the total number of casualties nationwide to 83 after the government reported that 70 people had died by Friday as a result of the heavy rains
“29 Kenyans have been injured and 19 missing persons have been reported. Nairobi has seen several affected with 32 deaths reported and 16,909 households displaced,” said Mwaura.
The government spokesperson said the heavy downpour has affected all 47 counties with 16 deaths reported in the Rift Valley region, 16 injuries and 780 households displaced.
In Nyanza and Western had 6 deaths each, 168 and 1870 household displacements while in Eastern, 11 deaths, 10 injuries and 2,260 household displacements were reported while respectively.
Central has recorded 3 deaths and 2 injuries while the Coastal region has reported 2 deaths and 303 household displacements so far.
“The floods have submerged numerous settlements displacing 24,196 households comprising 131,450 people and endangering quite several others,” he stated.
Mororo village in Tana River County, residents have been forced to set up camps next to the highway in search of safety.
Transport is paralyzed along the Nairobi-Garissa highway which was partly swept away by floods, leaving buses full of passengers and trucks full of food and other critical supplies stranded, unable to reach their destinations.
The Kenya Red Cross has set up about 59 IDP camps, rescued 350 people distributed non-food items to over 22,000 people and supported over 360 households with food.
The weatherman has predicted that rainfall is expected to continue over several parts of the country with over 40 counties expected to receive heavy rainfall in the coming days.
“We expect the rain to subside by tomorrow but we will get a real update on Tuesday at 3 pm from the weatherman so that we know how next week anticipates. We expect that Monday and Tuesday the rains will not be as pounding, but we advise move to a safer ground rather than building back, and you do not know whether the rains are coming,” said Mwaura.