Six bodies were on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, retrieved from Mathare River following rampant floods caused by heavy rains witnessed in Nairobi on Tuesday evening.
The recovery brought the total death toll in Nairobi to 10 after four bodies were earlier on retrieved.
According to a statement by Starehe Sub- County Police Commander Fred Abuga, two of the bodies recovered were men while the other two were women.
The Police boss further said that 8 other people remain unaccounted for as a search operation continues following the heavy downpour that hit the city and its environs.
Among the female victims, one has since been identified as a renowned activist and mother who had lost her sons tragically during post-election protests.
The Mothers of Victims and Survivors Network organization suffered a blow after its leader activist Benna Buluma tragically lost her life following the rampant floods.
Activist caught up in floods
Buluma was among the four flood victims whose bodies had been earlier retrieved from Mathare River after floods swept away their houses.
Also Read: Family of Four Buried Alive by Mudslide After Heavy Rains
The Social Justice Centers Working Group announced the passing on of Buluma while mourning her as an activist who tirelessly advocated for police accountability.
“With deep sorrow and a profound sense of loss, we share the passing of Benna Buluma, affectionately known as Mama Victor. As the leader of the Mothers of Victims and Survivors Network, she tirelessly advocated for police accountability amidst the ongoing floods,” read part of the statement.
According to the report, the activist mother tragically lost her life after she was trapped together with her family in their home in Mathare.
“We mourn the loss of a courageous advocate who dedicated her life to this cause,” the group mourned her.
Also Read: Sakaja Lists Floods Hot Spots in Nairobi Estates, Asks Residents to Leave
The group further revealed that three bodies have been recovered from the residence, while three individuals remain missing.
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Activism journey
The deceased is known among dwellers from the Mathare slums due to her activism in advocating for police accountability since she lost her two sons in tragic circumstances.
Buluma during a past interview revealed that in August 2017, she lost her two sons after they were caught in a fierce police fire during protests.
The protests were as a result election fraud as was alleged by Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga.
According to her confession, the sons Bernard Okoth, 25 and Victor Okoth, 22 were killed by the police who used live bullets to disperse the protesters at Mathare Number 10.
The deceased went on to bury her sons in Kisumu County in November, of the same year.
Upon her return to Nairobi, she encountered more than 21 women crying for justice for suffering the same fate as her.
Buluma would later join the Mathare Social Justice Centre, a community-based organization that advocates for social justice and documents human rights violations, in her quest for justice.
She further encountered other women, some of whom had their sons killed by the police, others tortured or even raped by the officers.
It is upon the encounter with the women that she made a move to become the founding member of Mothers of Victims and Survivors Network in December 2017.
They would go on to expand the scope to Kayole, Mukuru, Kasarani, Kibera, Kariobangi and Dandora estates.
With more than 60 women under the umbrella body, Buluma had since 2017, documented more than 30 new incidents of abuse of the rights of both gender in the slums.
Floods wreak havoc
Sadly, the inspirational activist had her life cut short by the ravaging waters which swept away many houses along the Mathare Area.
According to the Kenya Red Cross, eighteen people, including 11 adults and 7 children, were among the lucky ones after they were rescued by the team in Mradi, Mathare.
The rescue came after the victims remained stranded due to floodwaters caused by heavy rains last night in Nairobi which has affected numerous areas throughout the city.
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