This archive report was first published on 11 October 2019.
Heavy rains pounded Meru County on Wednesday evening, claiming four lives and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
According to reports, three bodies were recovered in Buuri sub-county, while the fourth body was found in Karegeria village in Imenti North.
Residents of Gitimene in Naari discovered the bodies of two men and a woman who had been swept 400 metres from a building they had been sheltering in at Gitimene shopping centre.
Among the victims were Boniface Muriungi, 15, who was studying at Miugune Vocational Training Centre, and James Karani, aged 25.
Jamleck Kimathi, a resident who had sought shelter with the victims, narrowly escaped death after he left the area when water levels started rising.
"They had told me the rain would stop in a few minutes but I watched them being swept away as they struggled to avoid debris," Mr Kimathi said.
Lucy Kiogora, a resident, stumbled upon the bodies while assessing the damage on her farm.
Naari chief Francis Rimberia led an operation conducted by the fire and rescue services and Kenya Red Cross to recover the bodies, which were retrieved at 6am.
Head of the rescue services Joseph Njoroge warned residents to avoid crowding in places with deep water.
Meanwhile, in Marsabit County, scores of families were displaced and dozens of livestock swept away by flash floods in Moyale constituency after a heavy downpour.
Marsabit Governor Mohamud Ali appealed to the national government and non-State actors to provide aid, citing major damage caused by the heavy rains.
"In Walda alone, 2,977 goats, 760 cows and seven camels died," he said.
Separately, in Murang'a County, Gerald Rungare lost 400 tea bushes after a mudslide hit Kairo village in Mathioya on Wednesday night.
County Meteorological Services Director Paul Murage warned that the rains will continue for the next two months.
