Nairobi — The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) on Wednesday announced the temporary closure of several roads in Nairobi due to overnight rains causing flooding.
Affected roads include sections of Enterprise Road, Eastern Bypass, and some underpasses on Thika Superhighway.
The excessive rainfall, linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon, has led to overflowing rivers and sewers, submerging roads and homes in most parts of the country.
"Following heavy rains last night, the following roads within Nairobi & Kiambu Counties have been affected, leading to partial closure: Enterprise Road, Eastern Bypass, and Thika Bypass," KURA said in a statement as motorists waded through floods.
Since March, flash floods have claimed over 130 lives and displaced more than 130,000 people across 24,000 households, especially in Nairobi. The Tuesday Mai Mahiu flood tragedy alone accounted for 70 fatalities, marking one of the worst-hit areas.
When President William Ruto visited the Mai Mahiu tragedy site on Tuesday, he directed anyone living in riparian areas anywhere in the country to move out to avoid a disaster.
"We have done all the mapping of all places where landslides are likely to occur and from tomorrow we will have all the people move out of those areas that are riparian land and all those areas that are in danger because the forecast is that rain will continue," he said.
On Wednesday, the Kenya Red Cross reported rescuing over ten people from flooded homes in Kitengela's Deliverance Road, Balozi Road, Baraka Road, Blessed Court, New Valley, Changombe, and KAG area which were rendered impassable, making homes inhabitable.
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In the capital Nairobi, slum areas like Mukuru and Mathare, situated on marginal land along river valleys, saw houses washed away. Last week, Mathare River claimed over 20 lives, leaving several missing.
Meteorologists have warned of near-average to above-average rainfall nationwide in May, with occasional thunderstorms. Coastal regions like Mombasa, Kilifi, Lamu, Kwale, and parts of Tana River expect heavy rains, reaching peak Long Rains season in May.
Across borders, Tanzania reported 155 fatalities from flooding and landslides, while in Burundi, over 96,000 people were displaced by months of relentless rains. Uganda saw riverbanks burst, displacing hundreds, with two confirmed deaths.
El Niño, a climate pattern linked to increased global heat, triggers droughts and heavy rains. The latest El Niño, among the five strongest recorded, according to the UN's World Meteorological Organization, poses significant weather challenges globally.
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