- Title: Floods in Kenya kill dozens, displace thousands
- Date: 17th April 2024
- Summary: KISUMU COUNTY, KENYA (APRIL 17, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FLOODWATERS BRIDGE OVER SWOLLEN RIVER COMMUNITY MEMBERS WADING THROUGH WATER HOLDING BELONGINGS MAN AND WOMAN CROSSING WATER VARIOUS OF PEOPLE USING CANOES TO CROSS FLOODED AREA CHILDREN HOLDING HANDS WHILE WADING THROUGH WATER KIRINYAGA COUNTY, KENYA (ARPIL 17, 2024) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) RESIDENT OF FLOODED AREA, BERNARD GITHAIGA, SAYING: “By the virtue of that water, people could not pass through (the Kakongo) Thiba River bridge. One woman tried to pass through but drowned. We were on the search the whole day and this late afternoon, late morning, when we found her within the bed of the river." KISUMU COUNTY, KENYA (APRIL 17, 2024) (REUTERS) MOTORBIKE DRIVING THROUGH FLOODWATER VARIOUS OF MAN USING A WALKER TO MOVE THROUGH WATER OUTSIDE HIS FLOODED HOME FURNITURE INSIDE FLOODED HOME VARIOUS OF FLOODED HOMES PEOPLE WALKING NEAR FLOOD WATER (SOUNDBITE) (Swahili) RESIDENT OF FLOODED AREA, MAUREEN ADHIAMBO, SAYING: “Rainwater has flooded my house. Right now, there is no place for my children to safely sleep, they have been forced to sleep on the seats. Even a place for cooking is a hassle [to find]." CARS MOVING ON BRIDGE OVER SWOLLEN RIVER FLOODED HOMES VARIOUS OF BELONGINGS OF DISPLACED PEOPLE ON ROADSIDE (SOUNDBITE) (English) RESIDENT OF FLOODED AREA, KELVIN KISERA, SAYING “It is not the first time a flood is affecting us. We are asking the national government in partnership with the county government to construct the Koru-Soin dam to contain some water and reduce the effects of the floods.” KIRINYAGA COUNTY, KENYA (ARPIL 17, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FLOODED HOMES
- Embargoed: 1st May 2024 18:32
- Keywords: Climate Change Floods Kenya Kirinyaga Kisumu Natural Disasters Rain
- Location: KISUMU COUNTY AND KIRINYAGA COUNTY, KENYA
- City: KISUMU COUNTY AND KIRINYAGA COUNTY, KENYA
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: Africa,Disaster/Accidents,Floods
- Reuters ID: LVA001596217042024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Thousands of residents in Kisumu and Kirinyaga counties in Kenya were left stranded and homeless on Wednesday (April 17), after heavy rains swept through their homes, destroying buildings and their farmlands.
Aid agencies are reporting that at least 13 people have died, nearly 3,000 households displaced, over 339 livestock killed because of the flooding in the past several days. Kirinyaga resident Bernard Githaiga told Reuters that a woman drowned while attempting to cross a flooded bridge on Wednesday, and residents later found her body near the riverbed.
The heavy rains are expected to continue across Kenya according to the country's meteorological services, who issued a warning last week for residents in low lying areas to move to higher ground.
Residents called on the national government to improve infrastructure to lessen the impacts of flooding caused by increased rainfall.
(Production: Justus Ngetia, Mukelwa Hlatshwayo) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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