Kenya Flood Death Toll Hits 103 As Heavy Rains Continue

• The government spokesperson, Isaac Mwaura, announced that the floods had killed 103 people by Monday, April 29
• His announcement came just as the death toll from the Mai Mahiu dam incident rose to above 40 people
• Mwaura said the government was taking time to update the death toll because it relied on reliable verification sources, not hearsay

Michael Ollinga is a journalist at TUKO.co.ke with over 10 years of experience covering courts and crimes, special reports, and current affairs in Kenya.

Floods have killed at least 103 people in Kenya as heavy rainfall continues to pound most parts of the country.

What is flood death toll in Kenya

On Sunday, April 28, the government announced that 90 people had been killed in incidents linked to flash floods and the heavy downpour.

A day later, Kenyans woke up to the sad news of a dam bursting its bank and its raging waters sweeping everything on its way downstream.

The residents of Kamuchiri said the incident happened at around 4am and could not estimate how many people were killed in the shocking incident that happened after the Kijabe Dam broke its banks.

Area police boss Stephen Kirui said it was impossible to ascertain how many people could have been killed as of Monday, April 29.

Flood victims in Kenya

Speaking in Mombasa on Monday, government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said that the official number of people who had died as a result of the nationwide situation had hit 103, subject to further verification and tallying.

"There are several Kenyans who have lost their lives. The official number of Kenyans who have lost their lives is 103. During our Saturday brief, the number was 76; on Sunday, it was 90. The exact number will come out tomorrow because it has to be verified. We don't report hearsay, which causes alarm," said Mwaura.

He said Rift Valley had the highest number of deaths at 21, adding that 29 people had been injured and 21 were missing.

"The displaced households are 28,484, and 185,297 people have been affected. This is a serious increase of about 50,000 people since Saturday. The number is rivalling the El Nino situation that affected 500,000 people," Mwaura said.

Mwaura reiterated that the government would do anything possible to secure more Kenyans.

Kenyan flood deaths

• The government spokesperson's statistics come a day after a boat capsized in Tana River, killing at least 10 people.
• On Monday, April 29, rescue agencies confirmed that 45 people died after the Kijabe Dam burst its banks
• The number of people missing after the Kijabe Dam burst its banks and swept everything downstream is yet to be tallied.

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke