NAIROBI — At least 23 people have been confirmed dead following torrential rains and severe flash flooding that struck the Kenyan capital early Saturday morning. According to Nairobi police reports, the fatalities were caused by a combination of drowning and accidental electrocutions. The deluge transformed major city streets into raging rivers, damaging over a hundred vehicles and leaving thousands of commuters stranded for hours as the infrastructure struggled to cope with the sudden volume of water.
The severe weather has caused significant disruptions to air travel, forcing authorities to suspend several flight operations at Nairobi’s main airport. Many incoming flights were diverted to the coastal city of Mombasa to ensure passenger safety. In response to the escalating crisis, the government has deployed military units to assist with relief efforts. Working alongside the Red Cross, soldiers are navigating submerged roads to reach those trapped, while authorities have temporarily waived fees on the city’s elevated toll road to ease the flow of emergency traffic.
While Kenya has been experiencing consistent rainfall since February, local residents have voiced frustrations over the city’s drainage systems, claiming a lack of proper maintenance exacerbated the flooding. This is not the first time the nation has faced such tragedy; previous years have seen hundreds of deaths and large-scale displacements due to similar weather patterns. Cabinet Secretary for Disaster Management, Geoffrey Ruku, has issued an urgent advisory calling for extreme caution as rescue operations continue and the death toll is expected to rise.
