Three people die, over 200 left homeless following devastating floods in Nairobi

Three people have died and more than 200 others left homeless in Nairobi's Mathare slums following floods that continue to wreak havoc in the Capital.

This was occasioned by heavy rainfall witnessed in the last few days.

A woman, identified as Jackline Achieng, and her two infants, a three and a one-year-old, on Tuesday died after a boulder crashed their house in Mathare 4A following heavy downpour in the area.

Fredrick Odhiambo, area resident and a victim, said he heard a loud bang that shook his house, and immediately ran outside to check what it could be. 

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This, he said, happened after the rains that started at around 7.30 pm intensified after around an hour further weakening the rock-boulders that had already developed cracks, posing a glaring danger to the residents. 

"It quickly rang in my mind that perhaps the rocks hanging from a nearby cliff, which had developed several cracks, had collapsed. I first suspected that the rock had landed on my friend's house because he stays close to the cliff," he narrated to The Standard on Wednesday.  

"After a short while, I heard my wife wailing back in the house. My house had been marooned by water. We rescued the kids, but everything else was destroyed. There is nothing I salvaged, it was a matter of saving life," he said. 

He explained that checking around after the rains had stopped, "the 23-year-old woman's house had been destroyed and went down with her and the kids." 

"The younger child who was at his place before the rains started may have survived had they not returned him to the mother," said Odhiambo. 

Another victim, Stephen Mulai, said he was not in his house as he went to have supper in a nearby hotel when the rains started.  

"I saw Jackline and greeted her as I was leaving to have supper. When I came back, I found my belongings drenched in water- my mattress. Everything," he stated, adding, "looking outside, my neighbour's house (Jackline's) had been crashed." 

According to Jackline's relative, Jennifer Mwanza, the late had just relocated to the area two weeks ago from Mombasa. 

The residents decried neglect by the County Government of Nairobi, which they accused of ignoring their plight-"declining to compel the landlords to destroy the structures that attract new tenants even after initial occupants were ordered to vacate."

"We have not seen the county government come to our rescue. It is the youths who even struggled to remove the remains of the deceased from the boulders, yet the county has plant operators to do the work," said Irene Nyabega, community leader. 

When he visited the area to condole with the family and in solidarity with the victims, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku directed the formation of a multi-agency team to fix drainage systems following flooding within the capital, especially in Mathare. 

CS Ruku instructed his Principal Secretary, Ishmael Maalim, to head the team that will comprise the Nairobi County government, Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, and Nairobi River Commission. 

They are tasked with finding lasting solutions to unclogging drainage systems, sewage lines, and rivers that are blocked due to poor waste management. 

"I have instructed my PS to engage National Youth Service Engineering, Kenya Rural Roads Authority, and Kenya Urban Roads Authority to do a geo-mapping to ensure the drainage system problem is addressed and water coming from upstream is not going to destroy lives," he said. 

He added: "The assistant chiefs and chiefs to coordinate with elders to identify families that can be affected in the future to take necessary action before these tragedies, because we don't want to lose lives again." 

He spoke while presiding over the distribution of government relief to the families affected by floods in Mathare 4A. 

"We've ensured that relief for 100 mattresses for 200 families, 100 kitchen sets, 20 boxes of bar soap, 300 bags of rice, 260 bags of beans, and 400 blankets," he said. 

Similarly, the CS said, the government distributed five bales of sanitary towels to women and girls affected. 

As the Weatherman notes, the rains will continue to pound in most parts of the country, with Nairobi being one of the regions expected to receive heavy rainfall in this year's long rainy season. 

“Heavy rainfall events are expected over some parts of the Central Highlands (including Nairobi), Western Kenya, Lake Victoria Basin, Southeastern Lowlands, Central and South Rift Valley, and North-eastern Kenya,” the Kenya Meteorological Department said recently in a statement.