Four people have been killed and several others are reported missing after the Voi River in Taita Taveta County burst its banks, the Kenya Red Cross (KRC) said on December 4.
The incident occurred on Monday morning, causing flooding in villages within Voi Town. The KRC said that it is on-site and conducting search and rescue operations for families marooned by the rising waters.
The floods are part of a larger El Nino weather event that is causing heavy rains in the coastal region and several parts of Kenya. As of December 1, the floods had killed at least 136 people and displaced 92,432 households, comprising 462,160 people.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said that a decrease in rainfall is expected across most parts of the country,with sunny and dry conditions prevailing over the northern half of the country. However, occasional rainfall is expected to continue over the southern parts of the country, including the counties of Narok, Homa Bay, Migori, Kisumu, parts of Kajiado, Taita Taveta, Kwale, and Makueni.
To mitigate the effects of the floods, the government is continuing to distribute food to affected counties. Ten tonnes of assorted food items were airlifted to Wajir on December 4, and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) has airdropped food items at Chebaso in Isiolo County.
The Kutulo-Elwak Road, which was destroyed by the floods, has been repaired and is now open for traffic. This has allowed a convoy of 36 trucks carrying food and diesel to reach its destination. Other roads affected will be repaired once the waters subside.
The government is also working to provide shelter, water, and sanitation to those affected by the floods.
The KRC is urging people living in flood-prone areas to be vigilant and to take steps to protect themselves from the rising waters.
