Two men died in Nairobi after being swept away by floodwaters caused by heavy rains that have pounded parts of the city over the past few days, officials said on Wednesday.
In Sunton, along Kasarani-Mwiki Road, southwest of Nairobi City Council, the first victim, 40, was found dead—his body floating in the Nairobi River, where runoff-fed channels were so swollen from rainfall that they had merged—the outgoing Nairobi Police Commander, Mr Adamson Bungei, said on Wednesday afternoon.
He said the middle-aged man, identified by locals as Mark Munywoki from Saika Estate, might have been walking to his house on Tuesday night when he encountered flooding that had swamped nearly the entire Kasarani area, including Njiru, Gituamba, and Dandora.
The heavy rainfall and flash flooding dumped inches of rain throughout the city’s expanse from the weekend to Tuesday, causing rivers to crest their banks and leading to a minor flood hazard and a security notice by county police.
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Bungei, who is a newly promoted Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) and Director of Operations at the National Police Service (NPS) headquarters, stated that the second victim was a man yet to be identified. His body was recovered in the Ngong River in the Mariguini area with physical injuries on the back of his head.
A resident said he spotted the body in the water, and it is believed the man was swept downstream to the area.
The deaths come as rounds of relentless rain have prompted search and rescue efforts in various areas for possible additional cases, with forecasters warning of a sudden watery onslaught that could overwhelm streets. The heavy downpour exacerbated dangerous conditions, and forecasters said that once the rains passed, rivers could remain swollen for days or even weeks.
Heavy rainfall is expected to taper by the end of the week, the Kenya Meteorological Department said. However, forecasters warned that due to the intense successive showers, flooding could occur earlier than expected under normal conditions.
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