Nairobi: The death toll due to heavy rains and devastating floods in many parts of Kenya has risen to 169.
Government spokesman Isaac Mwaura confirmed the death toll saying, “48 people were killed and many others affected when a dam burst in Mai Mahiu town in western Kenya on Monday morning,” news agency Xinhua reported.
“We have lost 169 people since the rains started. The government has also stepped up search and rescue operations to look for the missing,” Isaac Mwaura said on national television.
The East African country is currently receiving above-average rainfall due to El Niño. The Kenya Meteorological Department has said that heavy rains will continue this week, with flooding and landslides expected in some areas.
Recent heavy rains have caused major flooding in Nairobi, Makueni, West Pokot and Machakos counties. The floods have caused loss of life and property. Main roads were also cut off due to heavy rains. Business was disrupted and schools were closed across the country.
The newly formed National Multi-Agency Flood Emergency Team is implementing a number of measures to assist Kenyans in dealing with the effects of the floods, including food, safe drinking water, health supplies and rescue efforts.
It is heavier than normal due to climate change. All five dams that make up the Seven Forks hydropower project on Kenya’s longest Tana River are at total capacity.
Nairobi County is the worst hit with 147,000 fellow Kenyans being displaced and, therefore, it accounts for 77% of all the displacement in the country.
Mwaura said the government has set up 52 “displacement camps” – an increase of two since Monday – to provide those affected by the flooding “with alternative temporary accommodation.”
The weather forecast from April 30 to May 6 indicates that rainfall is expected to continue over several parts of the country.
The government is “providing food and non-food items and offering rescue and evacuation.
Kenya has registered heavy rain since mid-March but downpours have intensified over the past week, leading to mass flooding which has killed dozens of people.
