Death toll in Kenya floods rise to 188 as heavy rains persist

KENYA – The number of people who have lost their lives in devastating floods in Kenya since March has risen to 188, with dozens still missing, the interior ministry said on Thursday.

Torrential rains in Kenya and other countries in East Africa had caused deadly havoc, with floods and landslides forcing people from their homes, destroying roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

“As a result, the country has regrettably recorded 188 fatalities due to severe weather conditions,” the ministry said in a statement as reported by The Citizen.

The ministry said 125 people had been reported injured and 90 people were currently missing, while 165,000 had been displaced.

On Wednesday, nearly 100 tourists were among people marooned after a river overflowed in Kenya’s famed Maasai Mara wildlife reserve following a heavy downpour.

The ministry said rescuers had successfully evacuated 90 people by ground and air in the Masai Mara, where lodges and safari camps were flooded after the River Talek overflowed.

Kenyan President William Ruto on Tuesday announced he was deploying the military to evacuate everyone living in flood-prone areas.

Opposition politicians and lobby groups had accused Ruto’s government of being unprepared and slow to respond to the crisis despite weather warnings, demanding that it declare the floods a national disaster.

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