Search operations are under way in Kajiado South after floodwaters swept away one person. The Kenya Red Cross said the person was trying to cross an overflowing river at Baraka, Olkaria Village, on Friday night. The organisation has sent teams to search for the missing person.
The Red Cross urged residents not to cross flooded rivers and roads. It warned that swollen waterways put lives in danger, especially during heavy rainfall. People who need emergency help can call its toll-free number, 1199.
Flooding also hit parts of Nairobi, The Eastleigh Voice reported. Sections of First Avenue in Parklands, near Oshwal School, were submerged after morning showers on Saturday. Motorists struggled to get through. The Parklands Residents Association questioned the city's readiness for heavier rain. It said the road had flooded after what it described as a relatively small amount of rain. Overnight rain also flooded Githurai Roundabout and disrupted movement.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has previously said the county identified 227 flood-prone hotspots across its 17 sub-counties, according to The Eastleigh Voice. About 100,000 residents could be displaced in a worst-case scenario. Sakaja said 26 of 61 critical drainage sites had been cleared and temporary shelters were being prepared. The county has also been desilting rivers and removing obstructions from waterways.
Nationally, the government has warned that the expected El Niño rains could cause flooding, landslides, displacement and damage to infrastructure, The Star reported. Environment Principal Secretary Festus Ng'eno urged county governments and disaster teams in high-risk areas to step up preparations. He singled out Western Kenya, the Rift Valley and low-lying flood basins such as the Tana Delta.
Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen has called on Kenyans in flood-prone areas to take the warnings seriously. According to The Star, some members of the public doubt the forecasts because the heavy rains have not arrived as expected. The government has pointed to the 1997 El Niño and the 2023-2024 floods. Those disasters caused deaths, destroyed homes and forced schools to close.
Planned measures include mapping flood-prone areas, identifying evacuation centres, inspecting vulnerable infrastructure and positioning emergency supplies. The government said it is working with security agencies, counties and humanitarian groups, including the Kenya Red Cross, on rescue operations. Residents along rivers and flood plains have been told to move to safer areas when advised.