Floods in Kenya have killed 70 people since March

Seventy people have died in Kenya in floods caused by above-normal rains since March, the government spokesperson announced on Friday April 26. The capital Nairobi and neighboring counties notably experienced a violent episode of flooding on Wednesday, which left 13 dead and missing and cut off several roads and points.

“We need to put everyone on alert”, Kenyan President William Ruto declared on Thursday, emphasizing in particular the need to relocate residents from threatened areas. Weather services have warned that precipitation “strong, to very strong” are planned until May in several regions of the country. The rainy season began at the end of March in Kenya and is expected to last until the end of May-beginning of June.

In several East African countries, seasonal rains are combined this year with the El Niño climatic phenomenon, which began in mid-2023 and could last until May, the World Meteorological Organization warned on March 5 . In Tanzania, 155 people died across the country due to heavy rains “related to El Niño” which caused floods and landslides.