Torrential rains caused devastating floods in Kenya, where more than 200 people died, thousands were displaced and close to 2,000 schools were destroyed. All remaining schools have been closed until further notice.
Rains have ravaged Kenya since March, during some of the country’s most catastrophic weather events in years. Now, Cyclone Hidaya is expected to hit Kenya and neighboring Tanzania on Friday night, which could further worsen the flooding. This comes amid recent heavy rains across East Africa.
Here’s more about the Kenyan floods so far:
How many people died and were injured in the floods in Kenya?
Floods have wreaked havoc in Kenya, causing deaths and destruction. Here are the latest figures from Kenya’s Ministry of Home Affairs as of Friday:
- At least 210 people have died, including 20 in a recent 24-hour period, and 125 have been injured.
- Ninety people were reported missing and dozens were said to be lost under the rubble.
- Around 3,100 families were displaced.
- The schools that were destroyed total 1,967.
“There are many people who cannot be found. Many of my neighbors cannot be reached,” Jane Wambui, a flood survivor, told Al Jazeera.
Many of those most affected by the floods live in informal settlements, such as Mathare in Nairobi, where residents have accused the government of neglecting them.
“The government says it has sent the military and the national youth service and is intensifying search and rescue missions, but where are they? It’s been a week and where are they? I didn’t see anyone here in Mathare. No government person came to help us,” said Collins Obondo, a resident of Mathare.
URGENT ALERT: Following heavy rain last night, Mathare 4A flooded again this morning at 2am. We desperately need tents set up on higher ground in Mathare, especially for children and pregnant women. Get in touch: 0705577474 @KenyaRedCross @SakajaJohnson @FundaçãoGf
– Mathare Social Justice Center (MSJC) (@MathareSJustice) April 29, 2024
Where in Kenya are floods worst?
In the town of Mai Mahiu, in southern Kenya, a dam broke on Monday, killing at least 48 people.
Mai Mahiu, in Nakuru County, is west of the capital, Nairobi, which is expected to be hit by more heavy rain, according to a warning issued on Friday by the Kenya Meteorological Department.
Attention residents of the Nairobi metropolitan area! Prepare for heavy to very heavy rain this Friday. Pay attention to the weather! Stay up to date with https://t.co/NHZNDsKHAW.
For more details, visit our website at https://t.co/NHZNDsKHAW, pic.twitter.com/X4J64irk2H– Kenya Met Department (@MeteoKenya) May 3, 2024
What caused the floods in Kenya?
Although climate events such as El Niño – the warming of surface waters in the Pacific Ocean, which causes heavy rains in some parts of the world – have been linked to increased rainfall, many Kenyans believe the floods have been worsened by a lack of government investment.
In Mathare, locals attributed the flooding to poorly maintained and often blocked sewers, which caused water to accumulate.
Flood survivor Nahason Igeria told Al Jazeera: “This was caused by the State National Railway Corporation. They were the ones who built the culvert downstream and the upstream tunnel. It should be your responsibility to maintain the system.”
On Thursday, Human Rights Watch published findings that low-income neighborhoods such as Mathare were severely affected by the floods due to “less solid structures, congestion and poor sanitation infrastructure”.
In a statement, Greenpeace Africa Executive Director Oulie Keita said the floods were a “stark reminder of the human cost of the climate crisis”, adding: “Some of the damage has been further worsened by ill-informed development”.
How did the Kenyan government respond to the floods?
In anticipation of Cyclone Hidaya, President William Ruto’s government ordered mandatory evacuations for residents living near 178 dams and water reservoirs in 33 counties.
During his national address to the nation on Friday, Ruto said he had ordered the Ministry of Education to postpone the reopening of schools for his second term until further notice. In addition to the schools destroyed since March, many other schools are being used to shelter those displaced by the floods.
Ruto’s approach to flood management has been criticized by residents of Mai Mahiu and several informal settlements that were devastated by the floods.
Human Rights Watch said the government failed to act following warnings from the Meteorological Department in May last year that Kenya would experience increased rainfall due to El Nino and that it would continue into 2024.
Although the government has set aside at least 10 billion Kenyan shillings ($80 million) to prepare for a national response, it has not drawn up an action plan. In October, Ruto wrongly said that Kenya would not experience El Niño rains as had been predicted.
The Meteorological Department now expects the rains to continue until June.
What impact is Cyclone Hidaya expected to have?
Cyclone Hidaya will likely result in “heavy rain, large waves and strong winds that could affect maritime activities in the Indian Ocean,” the presidential office said.
The cyclone is also expected to make the search for the bodies of those missing and feared dead even more difficult, experts said.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
