13 Bodies Collected After Heavy Rains in Nairobi

At least 13 bodies were recovered from separate places in Nairobi following heavy rains experienced in Nairobi.

Police said 11 of them were recovered in Mathare, one in Kibera and another in Kayole.

Those collected in Mathare were swept to the area following the rains on Tuesday night. Officials fear the death toll may increase as the rescue mission goes on.

Thousands of people were displaced by the floods that were reported. This affected major roads and estates. Houses near rivers were flooded.

Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei said emergency multi-agency teams are combing at various places in search and rescue mission.

He urged those living near river paths to move out given the projections by the meteorological department that the rains will increase in the coming days.

“The teams are still on the ground to access the situation but we continue to urge those who can to move out of the paths,” he said.

Various agencies have joined the search and rescue mission. The floods have killed dozens and displaced many in other parts of the country.

The rains have also caused landslides in Narok, Kisii and Limuru which resulted to at least seven deaths.

President William Ruto said he had held talks with leaders of places badly affected by the floods and agreed to mobilise resources to address the menace.

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party leader Raila Odinga told Ruto to declare the ongoing heavy floods a national disaster, amid rising cases in displacement and deaths across various parts of the country.

He told the president to dispatch military response units as part of an emergency protocol to help in mitigating the damage being caused by the floods.

He also wants an emergency fund set up in a bid to assist flood victims, noting that opposition-allied Members of Parliament have since jointly raised a Sh1 million donation which shall be presented to the Kenya Red Cross for the cause.

“The president and government hereby declare the floods a national disaster and immediately activate all emergency mechanisms, including military disaster response teams,” he said.

Odinga urged Governor Johnson Sakaja to undertake proper rescue efforts in areas most affected by the floods and provide relevant support to all victims.

He further told the government to put in place long-lasting measures to deal with the perennial menace, noting that “as a country, we can do better than crying for help when rains come and crying for help again when the rains fail.”

“While we continue to receive reports from other parts of Nairobi and access to some neighborhoods remains critically limited, we appeal to the government and other disaster response agencies to launch thorough search and rescue efforts in all affected areas, and provide food rations, blankets and medication to affected residents,” he said.

“It is important to point out that all forecasts show that the rains will be pouring some more tonight and in the coming days, which means the disaster is about to get worse. Preparedness is key to forestalling a crisis of larger proportions.”