In Kenya’s central region, harsh rainfall resulted in the death of no less than 45 individuals on Monday. The flood’s terrible force washed away homes and vehicles in the town of Mai Mahiu, according to a member of the cabinet. The tragedy was believed to have been triggered by the rupture of a dam situated in the flood-prone area, according to law enforcement officials. However, some locals disputed this, claiming that the floods resulted from a breach in a railway embankment following a prior landslide which blocked a tunnel designed for water drainage beneath the tracks.
The deadly tide of water also uprooted trees and disconnected railway tracks. Even long after the rains had subsided, inhabitants were found digging out motorcycles and household items from the mud-soaked region. Among the locals was Joel Kuria, a farmer, who was stirred from his sleep by the trembling of his house coupled with cries of distress. Despite the night’s darkness, Kuria and his family managed to escape just in time before their home and livestock got swept away in the flood. He described the grumbling sound of the floods as terrifying, a chilling noise amplified by the shrieks of unfortunate victims washed downstream.
Amos Kimani, a quarry labourer, also recounted his experience with the deadly deluge, stating how he was jolted awake by the torrential waters, leaving him with no choice but to escape through his rooftop. He praised his lucky stars for his survival.
As the grim aftermath unfolded, Kipchumba Murkomen, the country’s road and transport minister, announced that the calamity led to the displacement of 200 families, the rescue of 150 survivors, and the feared prospect of a rising body count. The Monday rains brought the recent toll from weeks of intense rainfall and flooding to over 140 deaths countrywide, displacing in excess of 185,000 people, based on governmental records.
The weather carnage has also proven deadly in other countries in East Africa, such as Tanzania and Burundi, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless due to torrential rainfall. The previous rainy season in late 2023 saw record-breaking floods sweep through East Africa, a phenomenon blamed on climate change which, scientists argue, leads to the increase in frequency and intensity of hostile weather conditions.
The Kenya Red Cross reported that their personnel had recovered two bodies following a boating accident on the Tana River in the eastern region of Garissa county. In the same incident, 23 individuals were successfully rescued. Other infrastructure saw the power of the rains, with the international airport in Nairobi seeing a road underpass get flooded and hydroelectric dams reaching their maximum capacity, a development confirmed by a government spokesperson.
The commencement of the new academic term in Kenya has been delayed for a week by the nation’s ministry of education due to rainfall, reported Reuters on Monday.