Deaths and destruction in wake of heavy floods in Nairobi

Several parts of Nairobi woke up on Saturday morning to scenes of devastation after a night of heavy rains that triggered severe flooding, leaving a trail of destruction, sweeping vehicles into rivers, destroying property and leaving scores dead.

By Saturday evening, the government announced that at least 25 people had lost their lives following the flash floods occasioned by the heavy downpour across the city and other parts of the country.

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku said the deaths included 21 male adults and two children.

He also said at least 15 schools were affected, as well as 3,500 households. Ruku said another 29 people were rescued from various locations and are receiving the necessary support.

A spot-check by The Sunday Standard across the city observed the discovery of one of the fatalities at Uhuru Park, Nairobi, on Saturday morning.

The body of the unidentified middle-aged woman was discovered trapped against a water pipe after being swept away by floodwaters during the Saturday night downpour.

In Kayole’s Matopeni, the aftermath of the flash flood in the Portmore settlement, nestled near a riverbank, depicted makeshift homes overtaken by floods the previous night.

By 11 am on Saturday, the structures remained partially submerged and surrounded by thick mud, even as a heavy, sombre stillness hung over the place as residents were rendered homeless.

"All my belongings, including bedding, were swept away," said Emilly Odero, who appeared deeply disturbed despite expressing relief, "I couldn't save anything. I lost all my chicken. I was only left with my clothes."

"But I thank God," she added. "I was able to save my three children. I spent the night at a friend's home in Njiru."

The bridge connecting Mihango and Matopeni was also destroyed by the floods, as well as the water pipe supplying water in the area.

"The bridge was blocked by silt and could not allow water to pass. The weight of the silt caused the partial destruction," observed the estate chairman, John Chege.

Residents urged the government to intervene and reconstruct the bridge, which has now paralysed learning for school-going children in the area and crippled businesses.

Along Kirinyaga Road–Grogan area, a vehicle was spotted partially submerged inside the swollen Nairobi River, drawing a large crowd of onlookers.

Bystanders at the scene told this publication that the vehicle may not be the only one swept away by the overnight floods.

Traders in the area claimed they saw several vehicles being carried away by the fast-moving waters as the river burst its banks during the heavy downpour.

“We believe there could be more vehicles still trapped inside the river because the water levels were extremely high last night,” said one of the traders.

In South B area near Mater Hospital, more destruction was evident along the Ngong River, with at least three vehicles seen submerged in the swollen stream after they were swept away by the floods.

One particularly striking scene involved a bumper bearing the number plate of a small vehicle that had become trapped and was hanging near the riverbank.

The rest of the vehicle’s body had been completely carried away by the floodwaters, leaving behind only the bumper as evidence of the powerful force of the overnight floods.

Nearby, businesses suffered heavy losses after the river overflowed and flooded an access road leading to a garage.

Dozens of vehicles that had been parked there for repair were destroyed after water from the Ngong River swept through the area.

Mechanics and business owners surveyed the damage in disbelief, saying the flooding had wiped out months of work and investments.

“Many of these vehicles belonged to customers who had brought them here for repair. Now most of them are completely damaged,” said one mechanic.

Nairobi police boss George Seda told media outlets that at least 71 vehicles had been swept away by floodwaters in different parts of the city, warning that the number of damaged vehicles could increase as assessments continue.

In Mukuru kwa Reuben along Enterprise Road, another dramatic scene unfolded at Daraja Bridge, where containers from a nearby abandoned factory were swept away by floodwaters and eventually blocked the bridge.

The large containers created a barrier, blocking water from flowing under the bridge, trapping debris, and worsening the flooding in the surrounding area.

Several parked vehicles in nearby go-downs were also submerged after water levels rose rapidly overnight.

Traffic movement along the busy Enterprise Road was severely disrupted after a lorry became partially submerged on one side of the road.

The situation forced motorists to use only a single lane to cross the bridge, resulting in heavy traffic congestion.

Inside the estate, the situation was dire. Several residents spent the night in the cold as their houses were flooded with water.

"We slept outside with our children because we had nowhere to go," said Eric Ambuche, adding, "We have been forced to seek refuge elsewhere."

Police officers deployed to the scene warned members of the public to exercise caution, as there were fears the already strained structure of the bridge could weaken under pressure from the trapped debris and rising waters.

By around 10 am, bulldozers had been brought in to begin clearing the bridge and the surrounding road of debris in an effort to restore normal traffic flow.

Large amounts of rainwater were also observed flowing near Greenpark Pedestrian Underpass, which is yet to be opened for public use.

According to the Kenya National Highways Authority, "the underpass remained safe and flood-free."

Images widely shared on social media by Nairobians painted a dramatic picture of the chaos that saw motorists and pedestrians endure a difficult commute for hours after the floods rendered most roads impassable.

Along Jogoo Road, several cars were partially submerged in murky brown water as stranded passengers stepped out of their vehicles and waded through knee-deep floods, some clutching bags above their heads to keep them dry.

A few motorists were captured abandoning stalled cars as the waters continued rising.

On Mombasa Road, traffic crawled for hours after several vehicles stalled in flooded sections, leaving long lines of headlights stretching into the night, prompting Nairobi Expressway management to open the tolled road for motorists free of charge until 11 pm.

In some cases, passengers alighted from marooned PSV vehicles holding hands to strengthen themselves against the heavy floods as they moved to safer ground, while others chose to swim to safety.

Near Waiyaki Way, a matatu was photographed tilted precariously after sliding into a roadside ditch, forcing commuters to carefully climb out through the windows.

Similar scenes were also captured on other major roads across the city, including Thika Superhighway, sections of CBD roads, Uhuru Highway, Mbagathi Way, Lunga Lunga Road and Lang’ata Road near T-Mall.

Areas affected, Kenya Red Cross said, include Pipeline and Embakasi (Kware Road cut off), Mukuru (Kwa Njenga, Reuben, Viwandani), Kibra, Mathare, Huruma, Baba Dogo, Bosnia, South B and South C.

Others were Nairobi West, Lang’ata, Umoja 3, Chokaa, Njiru, Ruai, Utawala, Roysambu, Kahawa West, Githurai, Loresho and parts of Westlands.

For many workers, the nightmare extended beyond the roads as some remained trapped in office buildings in the central business district long after sunset, waiting for the waters to subside.

During the night, the Kenya Red Cross also rescued several stranded people in various parts of the city.

"Kenya Red Cross first responders rescued 20 people stranded along Kirinyaga Road and moved them to safety," the agency posted on X.

Water supply damage was also reported in various parts of the city, including Outer Ring Road Pipeline (Nairobi River crossing), Buruburu Phases 1 and 2, Kariobangi South and North, Dandora 1 and parts of Mathare.

Other areas that experienced the problem were Eastleigh Section 3, Kiambiu, Jerusalem, Uhuru and Jericho, Ofafa and Harambee estates, Korogocho, parts of Dandora 1 and Kariobangi North, among others.

"The company has deployed specialised equipment, including flushing units, mobile workshops and cranes to support restoration efforts. Additionally, patrol teams are monitoring river crossings and vulnerable areas to prevent further infrastructure damage," Nairobi Water said in a statement.