Floods Kill 237 Kenyans in One Month, Leave 800,000 Homeless

237 Kenyans have lost their lives to floods in the past one month, the government has said.

The floods caused by heavy rains that continue to pound different parts of the country have also displaced 807,000 other Kenyans from 161,000 households, according to Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa.

“That is a very high number compared to those Kenyans who have lost their lives to COVID-19 who are about 33,” CS Wamalwa said during a media briefing on Wednesday, May 13th.

Some of the most affected areas include Garissa, Mandera, regions surrounding Lake Victoria, Lake Naivasha, Tana River, Nzoia River, Murang’a, West Pokot, and Elgeyo-Marakwet, among others.

“With rains going on and our dams filling, it means more will be affected. We are urging people in flood-prone areas, mudslide prone areas to move to higher grounds,” noted Wamalwa.

“All families affected will receive support from the national government. In terms of relief food, we continue supplying to all the regions that have been affected.”

Last week, Interior CS Fred Matiang’i asked Kenyans living in areas prone to floods and mudslides to move to safer grounds failure to which they will be relocated by force.

“We have an operation and we are moving people away from danger and that level of alert will be addressed until we are out of danger. If we don’t move people along water bodies, it will be disastrous. We have no option but to move those who live there by force,” he said.

The Kenya Meteorological Department said the ongoing rains are expected to continue to June.