NAIROBI, March 25 (NNN-DPA) – At least 88 people have died and 34,000 have been displaced by flooding following heavy rains in Kenya, the Interior Ministry reported on Tuesday.
The long rains, which usually start in mid-March, began a month early this year and were particularly heavy. Roads in and around Nairobi and in the west of the country rapidly turned into rivers, taking pedestrians and drivers by surprise.
Many people drowned, while others were electrocuted by downed powerlines.
In the west, the River Nyando burst its banks, flooding roads around Kisumu, the country’s third-largest city on the banks of Lake Victoria.
The authorities in Nairobi urged people in low-lying parts of the city to leave their homes, in the face of fears that a river embankment could collapse and flood these areas. And in the west, the Red Cross reported the evacuation of schools that were in danger.
Climate change has exacerbated extreme weather in the East African country. While heavy rains have hit Nairobi and the west, the north has been suffering drought for months.
–NNN-DPA