Floods kill six more people, death toll at 142

The Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura in Nairobi during the 4th Media briefing on the El-Nino Emergency and Disaster Response on Dec 1, 2023. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

The government has confirmed the deaths of six more people as a result of floods, raising the death toll to 142.

They are a child and a make in Tana River County, one person in Taita Taveta and Kisumu Counties as well as two children in Machakos County.

Turkana County has also been added to the list of counties on high alert due to the floods.

Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura, the government has dispatched 24 trucks from Kenya Defence Forces and the National Youth Service to help distribute aid to affected people.

“Furthermore, Military aeroplanes and parachutes have been deployed to assist in the urgent airlifting and airdropping of food and non-food items to inaccessible areas,” said Mwaura.

He says that the rain is expected to continue in the southern parts of the country with a reduction in intensity and coverage in the northern parts.

According to Mwaura, there might be storms in the highlands east and west of Rift Valley, South Rift Valley South Eastern lowlands, part of Coast (Kwale and Lamu) and Northeastern Kenya (Southern Garissa).

He says that the continued rainfall in parts of the country has seen the establishment of five more camps to accommodate the number of people getting displaced by floods.

The spokesperson says Daabad refugee camp is the hardest hit by the floods with approximately 6,000 people getting dispaced; Dahagute, Ifo and Hagadera have been submerged.

The Kakuma refugee camp has seen more than 352 displaced after their homes were swept away.

Mwaura warned motorists against driving the Kiathenge-Thingirani-Kamarind road after it was severed adding that the Kenya Rural Roads Authority is working to restore the route.

The Mwingi-Madogo-Garissa Road has since been restored and is now operational after it was severed by floods.