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City in distress: Nairobi’s death toll hits 39 amid devastating floods

Residents sift through the rubble as they recover their belongings after the Nairobi River burst its banks and destroyed their homes within the Mathare Valley settlement in Nairobi on April 25, 2024. (Photo: Monicah Mwangi/Reuters)

By Maureen Kinyanjui | 05 May 2024

The assessment from the county also revealed that three villages in Kamukunji have reported diarrhoea cases.

City in distress: Nairobi’s death toll hits 39 amid devastating floods

As the rains continue to pour relentlessly over Nairobi, a grim reality continues to emerge.

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City Hall's County Emergency Response Committee on Saturday evening confirmed that two more lives had been lost in the last 24 hours due to floods, bringing the total fatalities in Nairobi to 39.

Lydia Mathia, Chief Officer of Public Participation, Citizen Engagement, and Customer Service in a statement also noted that 20,968 households have been affected by the floods, displacing 147,061 people.

"Nairobi County is experiencing higher-than-expected long rains. This has led to flooding in most parts of the county, destruction of property, disruption of infrastructure, and increased risk of water-borne and vector-borne diseases," she stated.

Amidst the floods, Mathare sub-county was marked as the epicentre of the disaster, noting that 6,935 people have been displaced by the floods.

The assessment from the county also revealed that three villages in Kamukunji have reported diarrhoea cases.

In response to the crisis, the Nairobi City County Government has mobilised its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and the multi-sectoral County Emergency Response Committee.

Food items which were distributed to residents from Pumwani and California wards in Kamukunji sub-county, Nairobi who have been affected by the ongoing floods on May 3, 2024, (Photo: Maureen Kinyanjui)

Chaired by Chief Officer Bramwell Simiyu, these entities are at the forefront of providing rapid response interventions across the city.

City camps

As search and rescue operations continue, 18 camps have been set up in Mathare, Starehe, Ruaraka, and Roysambu sub-counties.

To assist the affected families, the committee has distributed more than 4,000 bags of sugar, rice, wheat, and maize in Kibra, Sarango'ombe, Mukuru Kwa Rueben, Mathare North, Kiambiu, Viwandani, Soweto, Pipeline, Kware, Kabiro, Gatina and Soweto wards.

"Other relief items including mattresses, blankets and cooking oil have also been distributed," Simiyu added.

Interior CS Kithure Kindiki on Saturday announced that the government has set up 138 camps across 18 counties to help shelter flood victims.

The CS said the camps are sufficient to host 62,061 persons from 14,771 affected households.

Floods leave a trail of destruction in Mathare, Nairobi, on April 24, 2024. (Photo: Hanifa Adan/EV)

Nairobi leads with the most number of camps at 35, followed by Tana River at 30, Kisumu at 16, Garissa at 11, Busia at 10, Kiambu at 9, and Homa Bay at 8.

Migori, Kajiado and Narok have three camps each, Machakos and West Pokot two each, while Kirinyaga, Nakuru, Murang'a, Nyeri, Embu and Turkana have one camp each.

In Nairobi, the camps are located at Mathare North Primary in Mathare, Silanga Highrise in Kibra, Hope Gospel Church in Kibra, Lindi, Last Call of God in Kibra, Sokomoko(Sarangombe), Mountain of Peace in Mowlem, Kwa Maji area, Kingdom Church in Mowlem, Munge'tho area and Christ Covenant Church in Ziwani.

Others are Valley Bridge Primary in Mathare, Kiamaiko, NYS in Mathare 3A, ODM Slumbers in Mathare 4B, Centre for Hope and Transformation, PAG Church/School in Ngei Huruma, Undungu Society Hall in Mathare, Twaweza CBO hall and Uptown Madoya Tumaini Hall in Mathare.

Also, there is ST Regina Legio Maria in Kiambiu, Eastleigh South, Mission of Hope in Mathare 4B, Hospital Ward, Centre of Hope and Transformation in Mathare 4B, Mathari Hade Marie in Mathari 4B, Utalii Ward, Uptown Hall in Huruma, Madoya Tumaini Hall in Mathare and Malezi primary school in Kitui village, Majengo as camps in Nairobi.