Nairobi, March 9, 2026 – The Kenyan government has confirmed that at least 42 people have died following severe flooding triggered by heavy rains that hit several parts of the country on March 6, 2026.
The floods destroyed property and swept away over 100 vehicles, while also disrupting flights at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.
A resident, Cedric Mwanza, told Reuters that the flooding was caused by the overflow of the Nairobi River. “Many cars, many things I cannot even describe… everything was swept away. All the water came from that river,” he said.
Rescue operations have been ongoing as authorities continue searching for people who went missing during the disaster. On March 7, the government had reported 23 deaths, but by March 9 the official toll had risen to 42.
Public Works and Community Development Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Kiringa Ruku said rescue teams, including military personnel, are still working to locate victims carried away by the floods.
“Search operations are continuing with teams from different emergency agencies to ensure that all bodies carried away by the floods are recovered,” he said.
On March 7, President William Ruto directed authorities to release food from the national strategic reserves to assist families affected by the floods.
“I have ordered the immediate release of food from our strategic reserves to support families affected by the floods,” the president said.
Kenya’s national electricity distribution company also reported that the floods damaged some equipment at local substations, affecting 14 villages.
Authorities confirmed that several residents were electrocuted after power lines collapsed into floodwaters when electricity infrastructure was damaged.
