The Kenya Red Cross Society has warned that the number of casualties and displaced people from the ongoing floods in Kenya could rise as search and rescue operations continue across affected areas.
Speaking during a situation update on a local TV station, Ahmed Idris, Secretary General of the humanitarian organization, said the latest figures show 42 people have lost their lives while more than 50,000 others have been displaced following heavy rains that have triggered flooding in several parts of the country.
“The most recent data shows that 42 people are dead and over 50,000 displaced across the country. We expect the numbers to rise as search and rescue continues,” Idris said.
Idris noted that emergency response teams were deployed early and were fully equipped to respond to the crisis, but the intensity of the rainfall created difficult conditions for rescue efforts.
“Our rescue teams were fully prepared and equipped, but it was difficult because the rains were more than we had anticipated,” he explained.
He also pointed to urban planning challenges as a major factor worsening flooding, particularly in the capital city.
“The science is not complicated; you block the movement of water then water will build up and cause flooding upstream, and that is what is happening to the city. We have built on waterways and blocked water channels,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Meteorological Department reported that Nairobi experienced some of the heaviest rainfall during the recent downpour.
According to Mary Kilavi, Assistant Director at the department, several monitoring stations recorded exceptionally high rainfall totals over two days.
“Nairobi bore the heaviest brunt of the rain on Friday and Saturday, with Moi Air Base recording 67.3 mm and 145 mm of rainfall, Dagoretti 51.3 mm and 112 mm, Wilson Airport 88 mm and 160 mm, and Kabete 121 mm and 117 mm respectively,” Kilavi said.
Emergency teams continue to conduct rescue operations in flooded neighbourhoods while humanitarian agencies work to support displaced families with shelter, food and other essential supplies.
Authorities have also urged residents living in flood-prone areas to remain vigilant and follow safety advisories as heavy rains continue in several parts of the country.