A police officer was swept away by floodwaters while in a rescue operation to save three women and a child from stalls that had collapsed.

The armed policeman was one of four officers who were patrolling the popular Bus Station terminus within the Nairobi Central Business District on the night of Sunday, March 24, 2024.

“They were attempting to rescue three women and a child in stalls number three and four from the partial collapse of the slab connecting their stalls to the pedestrian walkway,” reads part of the report filed at Kamukunji Police Station.

Details of the tragic event

The fateful moment occurred as the officer was securing the stalls, leading to his sudden disappearance when the support slab unexpectedly caved in.

Nairobi Police Chief Adamson Bungei recounted the valiant efforts of the team, highlighting how they managed to rescue the family before the devastating sequence of events unfolded.

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“He was among three officers that had responded to a distress call after three women and a child were trapped in rubble following the collapse of a slab connecting two stalls in the area,” Bungei said.

The officer is said to have stepped on an open manhole while leaving the scene, propelling him into the flooded abyss along with his service rifle, an AK-47, loaded with ammunition.

Despite search efforts by teams from Kamukunji and Central Police Stations, the cop’s whereabouts remained unknown, emphasizing the inherent dangers faced by emergency responders in such challenging circumstances.

“We searched for him in vain. We are going back to the place for further searches,” said Bungei.

According to reports, three additional individuals, including bodaboda riders, were swept away by floodwaters in the areas of Gigiri, Dagoretti, and Buruburu.

The heavy rains that commenced on Sunday night and persisted overnight into Monday resulted in widespread flooding across numerous locations due to poor drainage systems.

Kenya Meteorological Department issues warning

Simultaneously, the Kenya Meteorological Department issued a warning of prolonged heavy rains persisting until Wednesday, with isolated storms.

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Kennedy Thiong’o, Director of the Meteorological Department, underscored the imminent threat of rainfall in specific areas such as the highlands east and west of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria basin, the Rift Valley itself, the south-eastern lowlands, the coastal region, and parts of north-western Kenya.