This archive report was first published on 1 December 2019.
Heavy downpours in Nairobi on November 30, 2019, caused widespread flooding, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. A man lost his life in the Mukuru slums after being swept away by the raging floods, with police efforts to recover his body ongoing.
Nairobi police boss Philip Ndolo mobilized resources to patrol the city and ensure the safety of endangered residents. He urged those on flooded paths to move to safer areas, warning that the rains may continue to dangerous levels.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the floods have affected 160,000 people, including nearly 18,000 who are displaced countrywide, since the onset of the short rains in October. The agency cited the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) in its report.
Infrastructure of undetermined value, including roads and bridges, have been damaged, hampering effective humanitarian response efforts in affected areas. The Kenya Meteorological Department has issued flood alerts for Coastal, Northern, and Western regions of the country, with the risk of landslides and mudslides expected in parts of the Central Highlands and Rift Valley.
Kenya was already facing an increase in hunger prior to the floods, with 3.1 million people projected to be in crisis and emergency levels of food insecurity since October, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
