Record-breaking water levels at two hydroelectric dams in Kenya have prompted officials to issue urgent evacuation warnings for those downstream.
Residents in flood-prone areas across the nation are being urged to evacuate voluntarily or face mandatory relocation. Kenya, along with other parts of East Africa, is grappling with severe flooding, which claimed the lives of 66 individuals in a single day. The floods have also caused major disruptions, including blocking a national highway, flooding the main airport, and even sweeping a bus off a bridge.
The devastating floods have displaced over 150,000 people, who are now residing in numerous camps. As the rainy season intensifies, the Kenyan cabinet has announced plans to notify residents of areas prone to flooding or landslides, as well as those residing near high-risk dams and rivers, to evacuate by Wednesday. Failure to comply will result in forced relocation.
President William Ruto, while visiting the Mai Mahiu area, assured affected residents of government assistance in resettling them to safer areas. However, there are concerns about the feasibility of implementing such evacuations, especially in densely populated informal settlements, within such a short timeframe.
The situation is particularly dire along the Tana River, where water levels at the Masinga and Kiambere dams have surged to unprecedented levels. The recent flooding on the Tana River resulted in the tragic capsizing of a boat, leading to seven confirmed deaths and 13 individuals reported missing. In a separate incident, a bus was swept off a bridge, but fortunately, all 51 passengers were rescued.
The flooding crisis extends beyond Kenya, affecting neighboring countries such as Tanzania, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Burundi. In total, more than 150 lives have been lost in East Africa due to the floods, with hundreds of thousands of people affected.