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The number of people who have died following heavy overnight rains that caused severe flooding in several parts of Nairobi has risen to 28, as rescue teams continue searching for survivors, police have confirmed.
Nairobi police commander George Seda said five additional bodies were recovered on Saturday evening from different locations across the city. Authorities fear the death toll could increase as search and rescue operations continue.
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Seda warned that more fatalities may be recorded as rescue teams resume their operations on Sunday.
“Teams are back on the ground today searching for possible survivors, but we also expect to recover more bodies,” he said.
He added that some members of the rescue teams spent long hours carrying out the operation on Saturday.
The heavy downpour triggered widespread flooding across the capital, damaging property, forcing road closures and displacing residents in several neighbourhoods.
President William Ruto ordered the immediate deployment of a multi-agency emergency response team to assist with rescue and relief efforts in areas affected by the floods in Nairobi and other parts of the country.
The team, led by the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, is working together with the Kenya Defence Forces and other emergency agencies to strengthen rescue operations.
Authorities say the group will coordinate evacuations, support affected communities and relocate residents living in high-risk areas to safer locations.
The president also directed the immediate release of relief food from the national strategic reserves to support families impacted by the disaster.
Additionally, the government will settle hospital bills for victims injured during the floods who are receiving treatment in public health facilities. Displaced families will also receive emergency humanitarian assistance.
The National Police Service said emergency teams were quickly deployed overnight to carry out search and rescue missions in affected areas.
Police spokesperson Michael Muchiri said officers remain stationed across the affected zones and are responding to distress calls as rainfall continues.
So far, officials report that at least 30 people have been rescued from different areas and are receiving assistance.
The Kenya Red Cross Society said its first responders rescued at least 20 individuals who had been stranded along Kirinyaga Road after floodwaters overwhelmed parts of the area.
A military rapid response unit was also deployed to support emergency efforts, helping manage traffic and tow five stalled vehicles at the Kariokor–Ring Road roundabout after the Nairobi River overflowed and flooded nearby sections.
Floodwaters also damaged several water pipelines, disrupting supply in some parts of the city.
According to the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, affected pipelines include the DN 600mm Outer Ring Road pipeline at the Nairobi River crossing, the DN 300mm Eastleigh–Kiambiu pipeline, the DN 200mm Korogocho–Dandora line and the DN 100mm Brookeside Drive pipeline serving Lower Kabete. Technical teams have been dispatched and repair works are ongoing.
Several major roads were also affected by flooding, including Uhuru Highway, Mombasa Road, Thika Superhighway, Jogoo Road, Enterprise Road and Lang’ata Road.
Traffic disruptions continued into the early hours of Saturday as motorists struggled to pass through flooded sections. Areas around the central business district were among the hardest hit, alongside feeder roads near Museum Hill, Uhuru Park, Mbagathi Way and sections of Mombasa Road near South C, Bellevue and the exit to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The Nairobi City County Government deployed more than 4,000 members of the Green Army across the city to unblock drainage systems clogged by debris.
Some of the hardest-hit neighbourhoods include Mukuru, Kibra, Mathare, Huruma, South B, South C, Pipeline in Embakasi, Roysambu, Kahawa West, Githurai and parts of Westlands.
The Kenya Meteorological Department has warned that heavy rainfall is expected to persist in many parts of the country, raising the risk of further flooding, swollen rivers and disruptions to transport.
Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku said an emergency coordination meeting was held on Saturday morning to bring together key national disaster response agencies.
Those involved in the meeting included the State Department for Special Programmes, the National Police Service, the National Youth Service, St John Ambulance Kenya, the National Disaster Management Unit, the National Disaster Operations Centre and the National Drought Management Authority.
