Floods death toll rises to 49 as thousands displaced nationwide

Vehicles remain partially submerged in floodwaters after heavy rainfall caused severe water accumulation on streets in Nairobi, Kenya, on March 06, 2026.  [AFP]

The number of people killed in the Friday, March 6, 2026, floods nationwide has risen to 49, according to National Police Service spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga.

“Additionally, a total of 2,624 families have been displaced from their homes. Infrastructure and property have also been damaged in various parts of the country, including 16 police stations that have been affected,” he said.

According to Nyaga, police officers in collaboration with multi-agency teams were still conducting search and rescue for missing and evacuating residents in vulnerable areas, as well as providing security.

“Our officers, in collaboration with other multi-agency response teams, remain actively deployed on the ground.”

He said that officers were working to mitigate the challenges to ensure the continued delivery of services as the government faced growing criticism over the handling of the disaster.

Some Kenyans have questioned the government's preparedness to handle disasters, given that the heavy rains had been forecast by the Kenya Meteorological Department.

“As the rains persist, we urge all members of the public to exercise extreme caution and continue following updates and safety advisories issued by the Kenya Meteorological Department and other relevant government agencies,” said Nyaga.

This comes as post-mortems of those killed in the Nairobi deluge continue at the Nairobi Funeral Home.

Activist Fred Ojiro of the Vocal Africa lobby group called on the government to set up information channels to help families trace missing relatives and get updates on post-mortem examinations.

The activist said that on Tuesday, March 10, a total of 15 post-mortem exercises were set to take place, but only eight families showed for the exercise, and three exercises took place on Monday.

In the last update by the government on Monday, Public Service Geoffrey Ruku said that Nairobi County accounted for the highest number of deaths with 27, including 21 men, three women, and three minors.

He said about 207 people were injured, while more than 50,000 were displaced, and more than 607 livestock had died.