At least six people have lost their lives overnight in Nairobi following heavy rains that caused flooding and deadly landslides across the city.
In Mathare 4A, tragedy struck when a massive boulder dislodged by the rains crashed into a house, killing a mother and her two children as they slept. The house, located opposite an overflowing river, collapsed under the weight of the rock, which had been loosened by the downpour.
“It was around 7:30 p.m. when the rain started, then we heard a big bang,” said Fredrick Odhiambo, a neighbour.
The woman had recently relocated from Mombasa, and her husband, who had travelled, returned to find his family had perished.
“We spent the whole night removing the rocks until we reached them. The mother had no head,” said Shem Odongo, another resident.
In response, local authorities have started evacuating residents from homes at risk of collapse or flooding, but residents say this comes too late.
“This is not the first time people have died from falling rocks during the rainy season,” said Irene Nyabega, who now faces a night without shelter.
In Mukuru Kwa Reuben, the situation is equally dire. One person died after being swept away by floodwaters, while more than 500 people have been displaced, left without homes or basic necessities.
“We have received no help from the government. No food, no shelter—it was all washed away,” said Godfrey Juma, a resident.
“I had to explain to my child that everything is gone,” added Esther Meton.
Residents are now calling out the Nairobi County Government for failing to act, despite promises made in 2024 to improve drainage systems after similar deadly floods.
“They started digging drainage, but abandoned the work. They haven’t come back to this day,” said James Mwangi Njoroge.
Other fatalities were reported across Nairobi. A boda boda passenger was swept away in Mukuru Kwa Reuben, though the rider survived. Two more bodies were recovered: one from the Ngong River at Likoni Bridge in South B, and another along Jogoo Road, both victims of flash floods.
As rains continue across the country, the Kenya Meteorological Department has warned that more heavy rainfall is expected in the coming days.
