Kenya Floods Claim at Least 228 Lives

Kenyan authorities announced on Sunday that the death toll caused by the heavy rains, leading to flooding and extensive damage in the country, has now climbed to 228 individuals. 

The severe weather conditions have forced over 212,000 individuals to evacuate their homes, with at least 164 people sustaining injuries, as per a report from the Interior Ministry. 

President William Ruto has committed to providing emergency financial assistance of 10,000 shillings ($75) to each affected household and has assured the reconstruction of educational institutions affected by the disaster. 

During a visit to informal settlements, Ruto disclosed that the government has allocated 1 billion Kenyan shillings ($7.5 million) for the reconstruction of all schools impacted by the floods. 

Ruto also discussed his ‘Affordable Housing’ initiative, emphasizing its role in averting future displacements due to flooding and landslides. The project aims to construct 20,000 houses for residents of Nairobi’s informal settlements, focusing on offering decent housing and safeguarding riparian areas to prevent future calamities. 

In recent times, East Africa has been grappling with incessant heavy rains attributed to the El Nino weather pattern, exacerbating the usual seasonal rainfall and leading to multiple casualties in Tanzania and neighboring Burundi.