Sun 12 May 2024:

Floods, triggered by relentless downpours in Kenya in the last three weeks, have claimed 267 lives, authorities reported Saturday.

Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said 188 individuals have been injured, while 75 remain missing.

He noted that adverse weather conditions have affected 389,000 people, with 56,000 families forced to evacuate their homes.

The floods have damaged 9,000 acres of agricultural land and resulted in the loss of 4,000 livestock.

The government has established 167 camps to assist those affected.

𝐍𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐮𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐮 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐬

Their homes survived the raging floods wreaking havoc across the city, but they could not survive the destruction caused by the yellow metallic beasts that mercilessly descended upon them.#MukuruEvictions pic.twitter.com/gz1gO2vMyx

— Sema Ukweli (@SemaUkweliKenya) May 8, 2024

Brutalized by government response

Winnie Makinda, 35, says she is facing the worst crisis and lowest moment of her life because of the Kenyan government’s response to floods that devastated her poor community in the capital, Nairobi.

The hardest hit are people living close to rivers, including the Mathare River running through Nairobi.

To save lives in the future, the government last week ordered evacuations and the demolition of structures and buildings that had been built illegally within 30 meters (98 feet) of riverbanks. Officials say that at least 181,000 people have been moved since last week and that measures have been taken to provide temporary shelter, food and other essentials.

But the demolitions have led to more suffering as those affected say they are being carried out in a chaotic and inhumane way. At least three people have died in the past week when bulldozers brought down structures on top of them, according to rights groups, family members of the deceased and residents who spoke to The Associated Press.

Like hundreds of poor Kenyans whose houses are being demolished, Makinda feels betrayed and abandoned by the government. Some say they were evicted without the legally recommended three-month notice period that should be given before action is taken.

Experts say the devastating rains are a result of a mix of factors, including the country’s seasonal weather patterns and human-caused climate change, as well as natural weather phenomena.

However, observers point out that the government received early warnings of the floods from the metrological department in October.

Countries across East Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are grappling with the adverse effects of the heavy rains-induced floods.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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