Kenya flood, landslide death toll rises to 18 amid heavy rains

A deadly mix of flooding, landslides and dam overflow risk worsened across Kenya as heavy rains pushed the death toll to 18 and widened concern over what rescuers must prevent next. The Kenya National Police Service said the toll had risen on Sunday after at least 10 people were killed a day earlier, showing how quickly the emergency deepened as rain continued to batter parts of the country.

The worst-hit areas included Tharaka Nithi County, Elgeyo-Marakwet County and Kiambu County, where sustained rainfall triggered landslides and destructive flooding. Seven of the deaths reported in the earlier count were in eastern Kenya, underscoring the reach of the storm system across central and eastern parts of the country. The losses came during Kenya’s March-to-May rainy season, when saturated ground, fast-moving runoff and unstable slopes can turn routine storms into mass-casualty events.

The danger extended beyond the immediate landslides. The Kenya Interior Ministry placed the lower Tana River basin on high alert after heavy rainfall upstream increased inflows into reservoirs in the Seven Forks dam system. That warning reflected a compounding risk: river flooding, infrastructure strain and the possibility that communities downstream could face a broader emergency if water levels kept rising. The Tana River Delta, home to more than 100,000 people, was identified as one of the areas that could be affected.

In Nairobi, the Kenya Red Cross reported possible missing persons and marooned households in Mukuru kwa Njenga, one of the city’s densely populated informal settlements. The report pointed to a disaster that was no longer confined to rural slopes and river valleys. Floodwater also disrupted transport after a landslide blocked the Iten-Kabarnet Road near Kolol, forcing traffic diversions while the Kenya National Highways Authority said repairs were underway. With roads cut, households cut off and water levels under scrutiny, the crisis is now about emergency management as much as weather. The rising toll suggests the threat is still evolving, and the next phase will depend on whether authorities can keep more communities from being pulled into the same chain of destruction.