Kenya on Saturday, April 20, 2024, received heavy rains that ran overnight through to Sunday, April 21 morning causing floods in various parts of the country following an alert from the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD).
Most residents, particularly within the Nairobi Area complained of experiencing the adverse effects of the heavy rains, which came after sunshine dominated a better part of Saturday.
Images shared online and seen by The Kenya Times showed most roads and estates flooded.
Other reported cases of destruction include destruction of property, flooding of houses near rivers and drainages as well as open pit latrines.
Additionally, flooding of roads across Nairobi County led to traffic snarl-ups with some vehicles being submerged and others getting stuck.
Journalist Escapes Death After Heavy Rains
In one video, a journalist from Standard Media Group Jamal Gaddafi narrated how he escaped death by a whisker after his vehicle was swept away by floods.
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“I narrowly escaped death this morning along Ojijo road in Parklands when my car was swept away by floods. I am lucky that a group of well-wishers quickly came to rescue me,” he said.
Another video showed a bus full of passengers that lost control on a flooded road before it fell into a ditch.
Most videos that circulated online revealed that Namanga Road was among the most affected road.
However, by the time of publishing of this article, no fatalities were reported, and the amount of property destroyed remains unconfirmed.
A section of City residents who were affected by the rains urged the Nairobi County Government to work on the drainage systems.
Met Department Update
The Met department had earlier during the day predicted heavy rainfall of more than 40mm in 24hrs over areas East of the Rift Valley including Southeast Lowlands and Nairobi area.
“Expect continued rainfall across various regions. Heavy downpours forecasted for parts of Highlands East/West Rift Valley, Nairobi, Lake Victoria Basin, Rift Valley, South-eastern lowlands, Coast & Off Coast, North-western, and North-eastern Kenya,” announced the department.
According to the department, rains experienced in late afternoons or evenings after hours of sunshine such as the ones received in Nairobi are mainly convective.
“As a result, we have periods of insolation that provide the energy for rain to fall later in the day/evening,” the department noted.
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The Met department further noted that the heavy rains which have also been predicted over the Rift Valley, Lake Victoria Basin, Highlands West and the Coastline are set to likely intensify between 20th to 21st April 2024.
These reported cases resulting from heavy rains in Nairobi comes amidst adverse effects experienced in various parts of the country.
The Kenya Red Cross also revealed that more than 1,500 households have been displaced in Busia, Kirinyaga, and Homabay counties so far.
In addition, authorities reported that the unrelenting downpour has so far claimed the lives of at least 13 people nationwide.
Govt Action
Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura in a statement on April 13 announced that given the substantial implications for different communities, infrastructure, and economy, the government is closely monitoring these developments.
“The ongoing and expected rainfall poses significant challenges, which the government is prepared to address proactively. The government is arranging emergency housing and support services to cater to displaced families,” read part of the statement.
According to Mwaura, further the government has initiated relief measures, including financial resources and aid to support affected individuals and families.
