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Kenya's flood death toll hits 169 as over 150,000 people affected countrywide

Locals mill at the scene where the Mai Mahiu tragedy occured after the Old Kijabe Dam burst its banks leading to the deaths of 71 people. (Photo: DPCS)

By Mary Wambui and Maureen Kinyanjui | 30 Apr 2024

On Monday, 71 people died after houses and vehicles were swept away in flash floods in Mai Mahiu, Naivasha.

At least 169 Kenyans have lost their lives due to the flooding across the country while 30,099 households have been displaced affecting approximately 150,495 individuals, the Ministry of Interior and National Administration has said.

In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry said the counties that have been adversely affected by floods in the last 24 hours are Nairobi, Tana River, West Pokot, and Homa Bay.

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Additionally, landslides and mudslides have impacted residents of Muranga and Nakuru Counties.

"Notably, the mudslide in Mai Mahiu claimed 46 lives; Garissa reported four lives lost while Sindo, Homa Bay, reported another four fatalities," the statement read.

In Sindo, Homabay County a total of 161 households have been displaced.

Meanwhile, 102 individuals have been injured across the affected regions while a total of 91 people are currently missing.

"Mai Mahiu accounts for 53 of these missing persons while Garissa has reported 16 missing persons," the ministry said.

Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura on Monday said the rains currently being experienced are above normal because of climate change.

"We always have rains between March April and May but now they are above normal because of climate change," he said.

The Government Spokesperson noted that the deaths and the impact of floods in many areas are due to people building and settling along riparian land.

He called on Kenyans to play their part insisting that some of the tragedies could have been avoided.

Mai Mahiu tragedy

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Monday led government officials to the scene of the Mai Mahiu tragedy to console those affected after the Old Kijabe dam upstream in Kiambu County burst its walls even as search and rescue operations in the area entered its second day.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and other top government officials when he inspected the devastation in Mai Mahiu, Nakuru County after the Old Kijabe Dam burst its banks. (Photo: DPCS)

"The damage is deep and devastating. It has also triggered a massive humanitarian crisis akin to what has been witnessed in other parts of our Nation as the enhanced rains leave trails of death, destruction and displacements. Nature's fury is immeasurable," he said.

The Kenya Red Cross has already set up a tracing desk at Ngeya Girls Secondary School in Mai Mahiu, Naivasha following the tragedy.

"So far, 76 people have been reported as missing at our desk, while another 110 have been rescued," the Red Cross later said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Approximately 250 people are being hosted at Ngeya Girls Secondary School, where they were provided with essential items, courtesy of the National and County Government of Nakuru and partners."

The Mai Mahiu tragedy marks the largest single loss of life amid the torrential rains and extensive flooding that have affected the country this month.

Masinga dam which has already spilled its waters, flows into the Tana River, which has already broken its banks.

Mororo boat tragedy

As a result, hundreds of residents in Garissa town and neighbouring Mororo village in Tana River county have been displaced by the floods.

Residents of Vumbi, Windsor, Bulla Nyuki, Bulla Punda, Kamor and Sheikh, have been forced to seek safety on higher grounds after floods from the swollen river submerged their houses.

On Sunday, a speed boat transporting passengers capsized in floodwaters in Mororo, Tana River County.

Some of the families of the missing persons camping at the scene of the tragedy at Maroro as they await news of their kin on April 29, 2024. (Photo: Issa Hussein)

At least seven bodies have so far been retrieved from flood waters in the area, according to Daud Ahmed Shale, Garissa County coordinator for Kenya Red Cross.

According to the Red Cross, 23 people have been rescued and are receiving care at Madogo Hospital, while several others are still missing as search and rescue operations continue.

The Kenya Meteorological Department forecasts have already cautioned that the heavy rainfall, coupled with floods and mudslides, will persist until May.