Nyeri — At least 48 households across Central Kenya have been displaced following heavy rains that have been pounding the country since early March, with a child feared dead after being swept away by floodwaters.
The Kenya Red Cross said the affected families are spread across several counties including Kiambu County, Meru County, Murang'a County, and Nyeri County.
According to the Red Cross Central Region Head Esther Chege, the latest incident occurred on Sunday when about 20 households in Thika East were rendered homeless after floodwaters inundated their homes.
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The humanitarian agency also reported six casualties linked to the ongoing heavy rains across the wider Central region, which includes Meru County, Tharaka Nithi County, Kiambu County, Murang'a County, Nyeri County, Laikipia County, and Kirinyaga County.
Rescue teams are currently searching for a minor believed to have been swept away by raging floodwaters in the Gura River on Sunday.
Chege said the ongoing storms have also disrupted businesses in some areas. In Meru County, at least 18 businesses have been affected by the severe weather, with authorities continuing to assess the extent of the damage.
Last week, the Kenya Meteorological Department warned residents in more than 45 counties to prepare for possible floods, flash floods and poor visibility due to intense rainfall expected to continue until March 9.
In its advisory, the agency noted that while rainfall intensity may reduce in some regions, heavy rains are likely to persist in the Lake Victoria Basin, Western Kenya, parts of the Central Highlands, the Southern lowlands and the Coastal region.
Residents were warned that floodwaters can appear even in areas that have not received heavy rainfall, especially in downstream locations.
The department advised the public to avoid walking or driving through moving water, open fields during storms and sheltering under trees or near grilled windows to reduce exposure to lightning strikes.
The advisory was issued by Edward Muriuki.
Speaking at the Red Cross offices in Nyeri, Chege warned that the situation could worsen if heavy rains continue.
She said the agency is currently monitoring more than 3,000 households across the region that are at risk of displacement due to flooding and landslides.
"We are likely to see increased drowning cases because of swelling rivers, and we are urging residents to remain vigilant," Chege said.
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She called on communities living near rivers and landslide-prone areas to relocate to safer ground and encouraged residents to clear drainage systems to reduce flooding.
The heavy rainfall has caught many residents off guard, coming earlier than expected before the peak of the long-rains season.
According to the Kenya Meteorological Department, the main long-rains season is expected to begin in the third or fourth week of March.
In its March-April-May seasonal forecast, the weather agency predicted that areas around the Lake Victoria Basin and the Central Highlands will receive near to above-average rainfall, while parts of northeastern and coastal Kenya are likely to record below-average rainfall.
Meteorologists expect the rains to peak in April across most parts of the country, with the coastal region likely to experience peak rainfall in May.
