Death toll from flooding in Kenya rises to nearly 190

At least 188 people have been killed by flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains in Kenya, the government said on Thursday.

According to the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, downpours and thunderstorms in over 28 of the country's 47 counties have resulted in widespread displacement, affecting 196,290 people from 33,100 households.

"A total of 125 people have been reported injured, 90 people are currently missing, and an estimated 165,500 others were affected by the heavy floods, which touched a total of 33,100 households and 1,967 schools," the ministry said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

Kenyan officials and humanitarian agencies have called on the population to avoid flooded areas, move to higher ground and avoid driving when it rains heavily.

The weatherman has predicted that rainfall is expected to continue over parts of the country, with several counties expected to receive heavy rainfall in the coming days.

The government said it has scaled up measures to mitigate the aftermath caused by the ongoing enhanced rains and floods, dispatching military personnel to help with search and rescue operations.

The Interior Ministry said 151 Kenya Defense Forces officers were dispatched to Mai Mahiu, about 60 kilometers north of Nairobi, where flash floods killed more than 52 people on Sunday evening, with 51 people still unaccounted for following a mudslide tragedy there.

The national death toll could rise as more heavy rainfall is expected this week, with floods and landslides predicted in some areas.

The ministry said a nationwide assessment of dams is underway, with inspection teams dispatched to ascertain the integrity of 192 dams identified as high-risk.

The devastating floods are exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the country just as it emerges from the El Nino floods that occurred in late 2023, when at least 178 people were killed, 242 injured and thousands displaced.

"The government wishes to appeal to individuals, groups, organizations and partners to support the provision of food, medical kits, sanitary kits and other non-food items in counties where search and rescue operations are still ongoing, including Nairobi, Kirinyaga, Homabay and Tana River counties," the ministry said.

Landslides and mudslides have affected families with young children in central Kenya, according to the Kenya Red Cross Society, a charitable organization.

In the Maasai Mara National Reserve, in Kenya's southwestern county of Narok, where 19 lodges were flooded after the Talek River overflowed, 90 tourists were evacuated in coordinated efforts by ground and aerial units, the Interior Ministry said, noting that no fatalities have been reported and a tracing desk has been established.

The government has deployed National Youth Service members to support ongoing search and rescue operations, the ministry said.