This archive report was first published on 5 May 2020.
Published on May 5, 2020, the devastating impact of floods in Kenya has claimed more lives than Covid-19. According to Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa, at least 116 Kenyans have died from the raging floods this year, with over 100,000 displaced.
For comparison, since the first positive Covid-19 case was recorded in Kenya on March 13, the pandemic has claimed the lives of 24 people in two months. In contrast, floods have claimed the lives of over 400 Kenyans in the past three years.
One of the worst floods in recent history occurred in 2019, when heavy rainfall wreaked havoc across the country, claiming over 120 lives. The floods also left nearly 18,000 people displaced, with 10,000 from West Pokot County alone. A total of 16,000 houses were destroyed across the country.
Going back to 2018, over 200 people lost their lives to floods, with over 300,000 displaced. The Patel Dam disaster in May 2018, which occurred in Solai, Subukia Sub-County, and Nakuru County, claimed 38 lives.
With the ongoing heavy rainfall and thousands displaced, Kenyans are worried about being exposed to Covid-19 at rescue centres, which are in breach of government directives on social distancing.
