Kenya government says flood death toll nearly doubles to 42

The government said the death toll from days of heavy rains and flash flooding in Nairobi and surrounding counties had nearly doubled to 42 as search-and-rescue teams combed submerged homes and damaged roads. Multi-agency emergency crews, including the military, continued operations as authorities worked to recover bodies and clear flooded neighborhoods.

"Search mission is still in progress by the multi-agency emergency response teams with the aim of ensuring that bodies of all the flood victims are found and retrieved," Geoffrey Kiringa Ruku, minister for public service and human capital development, said in a statement. Authorities also said 172 vehicles swept away by floodwaters have been recovered.

President William Ruto ordered the immediate release of relief food from the country's national strategic reserves for distribution to families affected by the floods, a move intended to provide rapid support to displaced households. The scale of damage is severe: thousands of homes and businesses were inundated, roads were heavily damaged and shops in low-lying commercial areas were destroyed, eroding livelihoods across the city.

Kenya Airways reported widespread disruption at the country’s largest airport, with some flights diverted to Mombasa and delays expected to last for hours. Motorists were stranded for hours in many parts of the city as streets turned into fast-moving rivers; photographs from the scenes show cars submerged and volunteers carrying bodies from wreckage.

The nature of the casualties underlines multiple hazards that accompanied the storms. "Some of the victims were drowned and others electrocuted. He warned that the death toll may rise as search and rescue operations continue," George Seda, Nairobi's police chief, said, describing why authorities expect figures to change as teams reach more affected areas.

Counts released over the weekend varied as agencies updated their tallies. Earlier reports put the toll at 23 or at least 25. Police spokesman Michael Muchiri later said the toll was now 45 people drowned and 2,224 displaced but gave no further details, a higher figure than the government’s March 9 announcement and one that highlights the difficulty of reconciling data amid ongoing rescues.

Local residents voiced anger at city officials for longstanding drainage and road infrastructure failures. "The river banks broke as the rains continued and cars were swept off and water flowed into our shops destroying property for many people," said Frederick Wasonga, a car accessories seller in the city centre, describing how floodwaters breached commercial premises.

Beyond immediate loss of life and property, public health and equity concerns are mounting. Displacement strains shelter, sanitation and health services, increasing risks of waterborne disease and compounding inequality between informal settlements and better-served neighborhoods. Scientists have warned that global warming is concentrating rainfall into shorter, more intense bursts, and a 2024 World Weather Attribution study found that climate change had made devastating regional rains twice as likely, reinforcing the link between rising extreme weather and the need for resilient urban infrastructure.

As rescue teams continue, authorities face the twin tasks of accounting for the missing, sheltering thousands of displaced people and restoring basic services, while addressing the systemic failures in drainage and planning that left many neighborhoods exceptionally vulnerable to the storm.