Mathare: 4 Family Members Swept Way By Floods, Rescue Operation Ongoing

• Heavy rains in Nairobi and other regions have caused widespread flooding, displacing residents and disrupting transportation networks
• In Mathare, residents have been conducting rescue operations around the swollen Mathare River, aided by local divers and emergency response teams
• The focus of the search has been on finding four members of the same family who are missing, with diminishing hope of finding them alive
• The Kenya Meteorological Department has warned of more rainfall in Nairobi, adding to the challenges faced by rescue teams

Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Nairobi - Fear is growing that the death toll from the Mathare River floods is set to rise as rescue operations get underway.

Heavy rains have pounded Nairobi and other regions for the past week, leaving a trail of destruction and pain in their wake.

The downpours have caused widespread flooding, displacing several residents in estates and bringing transportation networks to a halt.

In Nairobi county, more than 60,000 residents have been displaced following the heavy flooding.

The national and county governments have urged Kenyans living in flood-prone areas to move to safe places.

On Wednesday, April 24, more than 12 people were reported to have died in Nairobi and Kajiado counties due to heavy rainfall.

Mathare River claims 4 family members

For the better part of Thursday, April 25, residents of Mathare camped around the swollen river as rescue operations got underway.

With the help of local divers, emergency response teams combed the river in search of four members of the same family.

The hope of finding the family in one piece continues to grow thin amid a warning from the Kenya Meteorological Department that Nairobi should brace for more rainfall.

Images from the informal settlements captured the residents sifting through muddy paths as they intensified the search for the four.

The lack of modern equipment to speed up the search and rescue process has also hindered operations.

What happened to Mama Victor

In related news, Mathare-based activist Benna Buluma is among 10 people who died in Mathare floodwaters following heavy rains experienced on the night of Tuesday, April 23.

The late Buluma alias Mama Victor's body was one of the bodies recovered from River Mathare on Wednesday, April 24, as the search for eight more bodies intensified.

The Defenders Coalition, a humanitarian organisation, blamed her death on the casual handling of the floods by the government and authorities involved.

Floods wreak havoc in Kenya

• Floods have killed at least 35 people and destroyed unquantifiable amounts of property in most parts of the country.
• Despite prayers and hopes for relief from the extreme weather conditions, Nairobi residents have been warned to prepare for even heavier rainfall in the coming days.
• At least 690 households have been displaced by the flooding in parts of Homa Bay county as heavy rains persist.

Proofreading by Asher Omondi, current affairs journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.