Kenya flood disaster: Death toll rises to 188, 90 people missing

The Kenyan Government has disclosed that the number of people who have lost their lives in the floods wrecking havoc in the country has risen to 188.

The Ministry of Interior, in a statement released on Thursday morning, confirmed the sad situation, detailing that 125 individuals have been reported injured, with 90 people currently missing.

A total of 33,100 households have so far been displaced, affecting approximately 165,500 people, while 196,296 people have been impacted by the heavy rains.

In response to the crisis, the Interior Ministry states that the government has mobilised emergency response teams and deployed resources to the affected areas.

In Narok County, collaboration between emergency teams, security forces, and the Red Cross has led to the successful evacuation of 90 individuals stranded by flooding in the Masai Mara, where 19 lodges were flooded after the River Talek overflowed.

“There have been no fatalities reported, and a tracing desk has been set up at the Masai Mara Sekenani Gate,” says the Ministry.

The efforts have resulted in the retrieval of 52 bodies, indicating that 51 people are still missing following the mudslide tragedy.

Kindiki has announced the deployment of 400 National Youth Service (NYS) personnel to Narok County to support the ongoing rescue operations.

Since then, a nationwide assessment of dams has identified 192 dams as high-risk areas.

The dams are located in Central (60), Eastern (39), Rift Valley (29), Coast (22), Western (21), Nairobi (12), North Eastern (5), and Nyanza (4).

However, the Interior Ministry confirmed the dispatch of the inspection teams to determine the integrity of the dams.

As the search and rescue efforts continue, the Ministry has noted that there is an urgent need for food, medical supplies, and non-food items in affected counties such as Nairobi, Kirinyaga, Homabay, and Tana River.

In addition, favourable weather forecasted in the North Eastern (Isiolo, Wajir, Mandera, and Garissa) and South Eastern (Taita Taveta, Kitui, and Tana River) regions, according to the Ministry of Interior, sets the stage for post-flood recovery initiatives in public works and the reconstruction of schools.

Also, repairs to water treatment systems, road repairs, and improvements to the accessibility of social and economic facilities are part of the post-flood recovery initiatives.