At least 188 people have been killed in floods since March in Kenya, according to a new report from the tourism ministry on Thursday, May 2, as the East African country continues to be hit by torrential rains. Since the start of the rainy season, heavy rainfall, amplified by the El Niño climatic phenomenon, has caused devastating floods, leading to the destruction of roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
“The country unfortunately recorded the death of 188 people due to bad weather conditions,” the ministry lamented in a statement. A previous government report reported at least 179 deaths. In addition, 125 people were injured and 90 others were missing, while 165,000 people were displaced, he added.
During the deadliest episode of these bad weather, dozens of people died during the night from Sunday to Monday when a natural dam in the center of the country burst due to the accumulation of rain. According to the interior ministry, 52 bodies have been found and 51 people remain missing near Mai Mahiu in the Rift Valley, about 60 kilometers from the capital, Nairobi.
Furthermore, around a hundred tourists were stranded on Wednesday by the flooding of a river in the famous Masai Mara national reserve, following heavy rainfall. According to the tourism ministry, emergency services managed to evacuate 90 people from this reserve known for its rich wildlife, where 19 lodges were flooded.
Several other East African countries are facing the devastating consequences of seasonal rains increased tenfold by El Niño. In Tanzania, at least 155 people have died in floods or landslides. El Niño is a natural weather phenomenon generally associated with global warming, which causes droughts in some parts of the world and heavy rains elsewhere.