11 people dead, 1,919 households displaced by floods - Kenya Red Cross

Eleven people have died while thousands others have been rendered homeless following floods reported across nine counties.

This as four family members died at Torokiat village in Narok County after they were buried in a mudslide on Monday night, as various roads and water infrastructure in the county were also swept away by the raging waters. 

The National Disaster Operation Centre has advised the immediate evacuation of residents in low-lying areas across Tana River, Garissa and Lamu counties as the water levels at the Seven Forks Dam rise rapidly with an imminent spill over expected in the coming days.

At the same time, a bus ferrying 51 people was swept into Lager Areli along the Garissa Nairobi highway on Monday night.

Bangale OCPD Ephraim Karani, who confirmed the incident, said the driver of the bus failed to heed the warning of other motorists who cautioned him against using the flooded road.

It took the intervention of a multi-agency team to rescue all occupants in an operation that took nearly 8 hours.

Drivers have however called for a quick upgrade of the road to enhance its drainage systems to avert the perennial flooding that paralyses transport services.

“Garissa saa hii ata Hola tunategemea hii barabara na sasa imekatika kabisa hapa na mahali inaitwa Tula...sasa tunaomba seriklai itusaidie na kujenga hii barabara,” a passenger, John Mburu said.

“Hapa barabara naona imekatika na sijui tutapata usaidizi wapi tukisema turudi na barabara ya Mombasa ni mbali ambapo ata hii mzigo tumebeba haitaweza kulipa,” the driver, Newton Azenga, added.

According to the Kenya Red Cross, 11 people have so far died with 1,919 households displaced as a result of the floods across various counties.

Several roads in North Eastern and Eastern parts of the country have also been cut off, with 40 livestock deaths recorded in Turkana County.

Counties that have been affected by the floods include Nairobi, Turkana, Busia, Marsabit, Tana River and Taita Taveta.

In Narok County, a family of four died after they were buried in their house following a mudslide at Torokiat village on Monday night.

Hundreds of other residents from Kisumu and Kirinyaga counties were also rendered homeless and property of unknown value was destroyed by the raging waters.

This comes even as the National Disaster Control Centre issued a flood alert to Tana River, Garissa and Lamu counties.

In a memo sent to the three county commissioners, the unit warned of an imminent spill over of the Seven Forks Dam following enhanced rainfall across Mt. Kenya, the Aberdares and the Nyambene hills over the past few days. 

Residents in the low-lying areas of the dams were advised to immediately vacate to higher ground in order to avert the loss of life and property.