A tragic event unfolded in Kenya’s Rift Valley, where at least 42 people lost their lives when a dam breached its banks following weeks of heavy flooding.
According to AFP, the local governor said on Monday, noting that the incident occurred near Mai Mahiu in Nakuru county, resulting in the destruction of homes and the blockage of a major road.
Rescue efforts are underway, with teams tirelessly searching through the debris for any survivors.
“Forty-two dead, it’s a conservative estimate. There are still more in the mud, we are working on recovery,” said Nakuru governor Susan Kihika.
Monday’s dam collapse has pushed the death toll for the March-May wet season to 120, with East Africa experiencing heavier-than-usual rainfall exacerbated by the El Niño weather pattern.
Also,the Kenya Red Cross reported retrieving two bodies after a boat carrying a large number of people capsized over the weekend in flooded Tana River county in eastern Kenya. They also stated that 23 others were rescued from the incident.
Videos shared online and on television depicted the crowded boat sinking, with screams heard as horrified onlookers witnessed the tragedy.
Since March, 76 people have lost their lives in Kenya due to these weather-related incidents. Flash floods have submerged roads and neighborhoods, displacing over 130,000 people across 24,000 households, with many affected in the capital city of Nairobi, according to government figures released on Saturday.
Schools have been forced to remain shut following mid-term holidays, after the education ministry announced Monday that it would postpone their reopening by one week due to “ongoing heavy rains”.
“The devastating effects of the rains in some of the schools is so severe that it will be imprudent to risk the lives of learners and staff before water-tight measures are put in place to ensure adequate safety,” Education Minister Ezekiel Machogu said.
“Based on this assessment, the Ministry of Education has resolved to postpone the reopening of all primary and secondary schools by one week, to Monday, May 6, 2024,” he said.
The impact of the monsoons extends beyond Kenya, affecting neighboring Tanzania, where at least 155 people have died due to flooding and landslides. In Burundi, approximately 96,000 individuals have been displaced by months of relentless rains, according to the United Nations and the government.
Uganda has also experienced severe storms, leading to riverbanks bursting, two confirmed deaths, and several hundred villagers displaced.
Monday’s dam collapse in Kenya is reminiscent of a similar incident six years ago in Solai, Nakuru county, where 48 people died. That tragedy resulted in millions of liters of muddy waters flooding homes and destroying power lines. Similarly, the May 2018 disaster, involving a private reservoir on a coffee estate, followed weeks of torrential rains that caused deadly floods and mudslides.
El Niño, a natural climate pattern, is linked to increased heat globally, leading to drought in some regions and heavy rains in others.
In late 2023, over 300 people died in rains and floods in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia, as the region was recovering from its worst drought in four decades, leaving millions hungry.
The World Meteorological Organization reported in March that the latest El Niño is one of the five strongest ever recorded.
