Death, destruction as heavy rains hit parts of the country

At least two people have lost their lives in Bomet County as the country experienced intense rains, with the Coast, North Eastern, Central and parts of Western regions being the hardest hit.

On Saturday, Kenyans woke up to enhanced rainfall in most regions as it continued to wreak havoc, displacing hundreds from their homes and destroying infrastructure such as roads and bridges.

In Bomet, the two victims were discovered in the morning after being buried in the mudslide that hit an area where a petrol station was being built nearby.

"The two middle-aged men were sleeping when the incident occurred at Silibwet trading centre in Bomet Central constituency," said Musa Imamai, the Bomet Sub County Police Commander.

Mr Imamai said the bodies of the victims, who were living in a makeshift iron-roofed and wooden-walled structure that was destroyed, had been taken to Longisa Sub-county Hospital for preservation before post-mortem examination and release to next of kin for burial.

It comes days after a bridge in Chepalungu Constituency was washed away by floods, causing major traffic disruption in the area.

A makeshift footbridge has been built by residents to cross the Nyangores River in the Kipsegon area, where a Chinese contractor - China Civil Engineering - has suspended construction of a motorable bridge due to heavy rains.

In Nairobi, major roads were impassable as commuters in the capital braved heavy rains Friday evening and early Saturday morning, causing traffic to snarl.

In the Mukuru-Kayaba slum in South B, residents were forced to seek shelter after the Ngong River burst its banks, making the Kayaba/Hazina bridge impassable.

Dozens of residents left their flooded homes for higher ground.

Speaking to nation.africa, Starehe Deputy County Commissioner John Kisang advised residents to move to designated rescue centres for safety after a Kenya Power cable was seen sagging near the overflowing river.

Motorists were also unable to access Enterprise Road, which links Mombasa Road via the Kayaba/Hazina Bridge.

In Tharaka-Nithi County, a heavy downpour was reported Saturday night in parts of the county bordering Mount Kenya forest.

In Kajiado, dozens of families from Noonkopir village on the outskirts of Kitengela town were displaced by flash floods on Friday night following heavy rains.

The affected families lived in semi-permanent houses near a seasonal river that cuts through their village.

The houses have been abandoned and household items such as bedding have been destroyed.

The victims, who were trying to come to terms with their loss on Saturday morning, told the Nation that most of them had spent the night outside when their houses were submerged by the raging floodwaters.

According to Mr David Sumiyu, his family spent the night in the open after their iron-sheet rented houses were hit by flash floods.

"There was a loud bang and soon the whole house was filled with flash floods that kept rising. It was the worst experience," said Mr Simiyu.

Several feeder roads in Kitengela town were also affected by the floods, disrupting the normal flow of traffic and causing severe traffic congestion for hours.

On Saturday, the Kenya Red Cross officials, along with the local administration, visited the affected villages and recorded the details of affected families.

Noonkopir Sub Location Assistant Chief James Kahiga urged families living near the river to move to safer areas.

"Families living near flood-prone areas should relocate to safer places to avoid deaths," said Mr Kahiga.

Forecasts from the Kenya Meteorological Department indicate that the rains will continue in several parts of the country,

The Met department said on Friday that rains are expected in the western region, the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley, the central highlands including Nairobi, the south-east and the south coast.

The weather forecast for January 2024 indicates that the highlands east of the Rift Valley and central Kenya are likely to experience occasional rains with some breaks during the month.

By Hilary Kimuyu, Vitalis Kimutai, Sammy Kimatu and Alex Njeru