Flood death toll rises to 66 as Nairobi records highest cases

The National Police Service (NPS) said on Sunday that among the fatalities 50 are men, eight are women, and eight are children. 

Nairobi has recorded the highest number of victims, with 33 fatalities followed by the Eastern region with 18 fatalities, and 8 in the Rift Valley region. 

NPS added that four fatalities were recorded in Nyanza region, two in the Coast and one in the Central region.

Additionally, more than two thousand families have been displaced from their homes, while infrastructure and property have also been damaged countrywide. 

Members of the public have been urged to exercise extreme caution and to adhere to updates and safety advisories issued by the Kenya Meteorological Department and other relevant government agencies. 

Figures released previously from the government showed that the floods affected more than 10,000 households, with 4,845 people displaced and forced to seek shelter in safer areas.

In Nairobi, the county government announced a one-month waiver on levies and approvals required for property repair works following the heavy rains and flooding in the capital.

Likewise, the Ministry of Interior has also flagged 37 neighborhoods in the city as flood-prone areas. 

According to the Ministry, a mapping exercise conducted under the Nairobi Rivers Regeneration Programme identified the 37 neighbourhoods located along major river corridors and locations vulnerable to flooding. 

This includes areas that lie downstream along sections of the Nairobi River and its tributaries, those situated upstream and midstream sections of the river network and those along where the river passes.