At least 45 people have died and hundreds displaced after flash floods struck Kenya following torrential rains, police confirmed on Monday.
Heavy rainfall hit the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, late Friday, turning streets into rivers and inundating homes and businesses. Initially, authorities reported 23 deaths, but continued search and rescue efforts have since raised the toll to 45, with 2,224 people displaced, police spokesman Michael Muchiri told AFP.
AFP reporters in the city observed severe damage across Nairobi, from sprawling slums to wealthier neighborhoods. Frederick Wasonga, a car accessories vendor in the city center, described how broken riverbanks swept cars away and flooded shops, destroying property.
Residents criticized Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, who had pledged to improve drainage and road infrastructure since taking office in 2022.
Experts note that East Africa has experienced increasing frequency of extreme wet and dry periods over the past two decades. Scientists warn that human-driven climate change is making such severe weather events, including torrential downpours, more frequent and intense.
