Twenty-nine people across several counties have lost their lives and over 12,000 have been displaced across Kenya in recent days as incessant and heavy rains continue to pound the East African nation.
The Kenya Meteorological Department has issued an advisory on the anticipated heavy downpour and warned residents in several regions to be on the lookout for floods. Twenty-five out of the country’s forty-seven counties, including the capital of Nairobi, has experienced heavy rainfall and are on high alert for flooding.
The most adversely affected are the counties of Mandera, Wajir, Marsabit, Kwale, Lamu, Turkana and Garissa. Relief efforts by the Kenya Red Cross, UNICEF and the Kenya Government are underway in various parts of the country.
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Camps for displaced families have been set up in the hard-hit counties of Wajir and Mandera where 8000 and 5000 households respectively have been affected by the floods. This initiative, however, has been significantly hampered by impassable, flooded roads and access routes.
The Kenyan government, through its spokesperson, Col. (Rtd) Cyrus Oguna, has stated that in addition to the loss of human life, the sectors of education, roads, agriculture and water have been adversely affected by the floods.
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In the case of the agricultural sector, farmlands in the affected areas have been completely submerged and an estimated 10,000 livestock lost. Those living in flood-prone areas have been advised to vacate their homes and relocate to higher ground.