Heavy rains in Kenya have left 18 people dead over the past week, with most of the deaths attributed to drowning. The national police service confirmed the fatalities following floods and landslides, underscoring the grave danger posed by weather conditions as the March to May rainy season reaches its peak.
Landslides were reported in Kiambu, Elgeyo-Marakwe, and Tharaka Nithi counties in central and eastern Kenya, while mudslides have forced thousands to move from the western Rift Valley area. The flooding has affected more than 54,000 households nationwide, including 6,000 in Nairobi. Infrastructure damage is widespread, with 17 roads cut off and dozens of schools and hospitals flooded.
Authorities have urged people living downstream of the Tana and Athi rivers to move to higher ground as water levels in the country's hydroelectric dams rise. The Kenya Meteorological Department has warned that enhanced rainfall is expected to continue through the first two weeks of May. These ongoing rains follow a destructive start to the season in March, which left more than 100 people dead by the end of that month.