Nairobi, Kenya — Eight people died, flights were disrupted and the military was deployed as motorists were stranded for hours in the Kenyan capital on Saturday after roads were flooded following heavy overnight rain.
Nairobi police chief George Seda said on Saturday that six people had drowned and two had been electrocuted, warning that the death toll could rise as search and rescue operations continued. More than 100 vehicles were damaged, some overturned on the side of the road and in parking bays, Seda said.
Kenya Airways said flights were disrupted on Saturday, with some diverted to the coastal city of Mombasa, and disruptions expected to continue for hours.
The military was deployed to assist emergency rescue services and local toll road operators waived tolls for the elevated road.
Heavy rains started on Friday and continued overnight, inundating vehicles and forcing motorists in some areas to wade through hip-high water to reach higher ground.
Videos of flooded houses and overturned vehicles have been shared on social media.
A military rescue unit was deployed overnight to support emergency services as Kenya Red Cross response units struggled to reach people in need.
Kenya Red Cross Secretary General Ahmed Idris said search and rescue teams were working tirelessly to help those trapped.
“We are severely limited by the situation of traffic and back roads. We are doing our best to reach those in need,” he wrote on X.
Kenya’s Public Service Minister Geoffrey Ruku said on Saturday that he was coordinating national disaster preparedness, response and recovery efforts. He urged Kenyans to be vigilant and prioritize their safety.
Some residents blamed the flooding on clogged drainage systems, saying city officials should have been prepared by ensuring functional drainage infrastructure was in place before the rainy season.
A resident, Aisha Bajabar, wrote in X, “The whole city is flooded again. How long will the authorities ignore the lack of drainage?”
It has been raining in the country since late February, marking the beginning of the long-rainy season.
Floods, landslides and mudslides have killed hundreds of people and displaced thousands in previous monsoons.
(Tags to translate)Natural Disasters(T)General News(T)Military & Defense(T)World News(T)Article(T)130850789
