The government reported that on Monday, flash floods and a landslide in central Kenya caused at least 45 fatalities and over 110 injuries when floodwaters washed away cars and homes in the town of Mai Mahiu.
The ministry of water subsequently stated that the flooding was caused by a river tunnel under a railway embankment becoming blocked with debris. Initially, police believed the flooding was caused by a burst dam.
“The water (eventually) swept the railway line and started moving downstream with a very high speed and velocity causing destruction of property and loss of lives,” claimed the ministry. The account provided by the water ministry was verified by two locals.
Photographs showed a large section of rail track, embankment, and trees swept downhill. Hours after the rain had stopped and floodwaters began to recede, local residents pulled motorcycles and household belongings from the mud. “While 45 bodies have already been retrieved along the path of the flash floods and the landslide, search, rescue, and recovery is ongoing,” interior minister Kithure Kindiki said in a statement. “The water (eventually) swept the railway line and started moving downstream with a very high speed and velocity causing destruction of property and loss of life,” the ministry said. Two residents verified the water ministry’s account.
The farmer Joel Kuria, together with his wife and two kids, awoke to the sound of screaming and his home shaking.
From where he was holed up in the town center, he told Reporters, “It was very dark, but we managed to leave the house in time before the gushing waters swept away everything including our livestock.”
“The grumbling sound was scary and was worsened by screams of victims being washed downstream.”
With these deaths, the toll from the torrential rains and flooding that have affected Kenya since last month has risen to almost 140. Over 185,000 individuals have been forced to relocate.
In other East African nations, such as Tanzania and Burundi, record floods occurred during the last rainy season in late 2023, and officials warned that the number of fatalities from the extreme weather events could rise further. According to scientists, climate change is causing more intense and frequent extreme weather events. Road and Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen told reporters he feared the death toll in Mai Mahiu would rise further.
